Warriors: Dreams Of Rain
by Lightstar45
Summary: A part of the Tribe of Shattered Ice her whole life, Rain has never spoken out against her tyrannical leader and mate, Shard. But when he plots to kill her kits, who are also his own, Rain puts aside her own fear and goes on an amazing journey, risking her own life, all for the sake of her precious kittens getting a chance to live a life of freedom.
1. Rain of Late Spring

_**Dreams Of Rain**_

_**Book one:**__**  
**_

_**Rain****  
**_

Rain Of Late Spring stared out over the mountains, her soft green eyes blinking slowly in the pale morning sunlight. Mist drifted around her, ever so slightly dampening her plush blue fur. Watching the sunrise was probably the most enjoyable moment of every single day she had to live through. The world seemed so simple, peaceful and beautiful as the rising ball of flame made the distant, snow topped mountains glimmer like diamonds. The fluffy pink and orange clouds looked softer than the freshest moss, overwhelmingly inviting yet so painfully distant. Rain sighed as the sun began to warm her damp fur. She knew she'd have to return to the cave soon. Shard would be waking as soon as the sun hit the cave mouth and, if she wasn't there, who knew what he would do to her. The young she-cat was, regrettably, part of the Tribe of Shattered Ice. Or as she called it, the Tribe of Discord. If the Tribe of Endless Hunting was real, she knew their grace had left them long ago.

Shard had been the leader of the Tribe for far longer than Rain had been alive. She'd heard rumors that once, their Tribe had been peaceful, organized and took into account the care of every cat that was a part of it. She had heard from the few elders of the Tribe that that peace, however, ended when Shard murdered their previous leader, Glacier, and took over. She had no choice but to believe them. She had faced Shard's cruelty far too many times and in the two short years of her life had seen all of the horrors he was capable of. Shard didn't care for any cat but himself. It was a strict rule in their Tribe that every cat had to fend for his or her self and catch their own food. Elders, kits, the injured, the ill and even pregnant she-cats, like Rain herself, were not exempt from that rule. The fact that Rain was Shard's mate didn't even matter to him. Even though her belly was slightly swollen with his kits, practically every bone in her body stuck through her fur. Her face her gaunt and her limbs were weak from lack of food and lack of exercise. When she hunted, which was only once a day, she had to do so in a tiny meadow at the base of their cave, like everyone else. And every second she hunted, she was watched by Shard's personal guards, The Elites.

There was no freedom in the Tribe. No care for the sick, wounded or elderly. Food was scarce in their icy home anyway, so every meal was feared to be a cat's last. It was a constant fight for survival that far too many innocent kits, expecting mothers or aged elders had lost at. Rain had a slightly better chance that most cats, being one of Shard's favorite mates out of the many he had, though she still was not completely protected. If she lost her life to starvation, Shard would move on and find a new she-cat to have fun with. If she lost her kits due to her hunger, he would simply get her pregnant again, blaming her for the loss of the kits. She knew he would. He had done the same to far too many of his 'favorites'. One had even been killed for loosing her kits during their birth, "She betrayed me by not making the kits survive," was Shard's reasoning for killing her.

Rain was in constant fear that she would share the same fate. She wasn't that far along in her pregnancy and she knew that, at any moment, something could go terribly wrong...and she would be blames for it. There would be no remorse for her kits, whom she loved despite her hatred for their father. Their deaths would be shrugged off like a simple gust of wind that had knocked a few rocks down the cliff side. And before she could even recover from their loss, she would be forced to bear more. It was no kind of life and she knew that...but there was no escaping it. She would die if she even tried. Any cat that had ever tried to flee from the Tribe had been hunted down by the Elites and, after being returned to the cave, was killed to show all of the Tribe cats what would happen if they tried to leave.

"Late Spring!"

Rain looked around calmly to see a large, pale gray tom cat leaping down from the rocks that led up to the cave where the Tribe lived. His muscles rippled beneath his neat pelt with every bound closer to her. He landed near the much smaller she-cat, straightening up and glaring down at her. "You are not permitted to be out of the cave at this hour," he growled out, making Rain duck her head submissively. "Get back to the cave now, before I report you to Shard."

She stood and, her body low to the ground and tail trailing behind her, worked her way back up the cave, feeling his eyes scorching her fur until she slipped into the darkness of the cave. She sighed and shook an uncomfortable chill off before quietly padding over to where Shard lay sleeping at the back of the large, hollowed out cavern. He was a large, long-haired dark gray tom, with many, many scars scored into his flesh. A thunderous, bone rattling snore shook his body with every breath he released. Several she-cats lay curled up around him, all as skinny as Rain, two others also pregnant with Shard's kits. Rain sighed as she reached the tom and laid down beside him, knowing she'd get in trouble if she slept anywhere else.

She had to endure his wretched snoring and the foul smell of his rank breath until the sun finally rose high enough to let its light fall into the cave. She felt Shard stir beside her and began to see life awaken in the cave. She watched as two rake thin toms walked wearily into the cave, a muscular Elite following them closely. She knew they must have been on night patrol. As they went to their dens to get some sleep, a boney she-cat came out of a small den in the cave wall, two tiny kits bumbling after her. She sat down outside of the den and began to groom them, a raspy purr coming from them as the kits mewled pathetically, begging her for milk that she clearly couldn't provide.

Rain couldn't hold back a grimace as she saw two she-cat's dragging the limp body of an elder out of a cave. An Elite escorted them as they gently pulled the gaunt, skeletal body out of the cave. In that moment, Rain felt Shard stirring beside her.

He sat up slowly, yawning and growling as he stretched out his large body, his needle sharp claws scrapping at the cold floor of the cave. A sleepy groan later, the tom placed a heavy paw on Rain's back. "Morning, Rain," he growled out. "I suspect you slept well?"

She huffed a bit under the weight of his large paw and gave a small nod. "V-very well, Shard," she responded quietly.

"Good..." Rain let out a small cry of surprise as his claws unsheathed and sunk into her flesh. "Tonight, however, let's behave and not sneak out to watch the sunset. Eye?" The tom snarled quietly, scratching her down her back slowly.

"Y-Yes Shard..." She hissed out, digging her own claws into the floor, gritting her teeth together to hold in a yowl of pain.

"Good girl," he grunted, pulling back. He stood and stretched once more before lumbering off to check on the morning patrols and to speak with his precious Elites.

Rain sighed shakily and sat up, twisting her head around to lick at the now bleeding scratches he had scored into her skin. She soon felt a thin body press against her and another tongue accompanying her own. Lifting her head, Rain relaxed at seeing the slender, cream colored coat of her closest friend, Dew. The brown-faced, blue-eyed she-cat was also one of Shard's mates. She and Rain had been born around the same time and had been close ever since they were kits. They relied on each other and protected each other...as much as they could without punishment. Ever since Rain had gotten pregnant, Dew would sneak her extra portions of prey.

"He's too rough with you," mewed Dew, lifting her pretty, narrow head and staring at her friend with sad eyes. "I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up being the cause of those kits deaths."

Rain's ears flattened some and she laid down, resting her head sadly on her paws.

"...Why didn't you tell him to stop?"

"You know what happens when any one talks back to Shard," mumbled Rain. "I'm...not going to risk that."

Dew sighed and began to groom her until an Elite came over to them. "You two, it's your turn to hunt. Hurry it up!" He shoved Rain to her feet and nudged them both forward until they walked to the cave entrance. They walked slowly and quietly down a small slope that led to the meadow that was coated in frozen dew drops. The Elite leaped onto an outcrop of stone that sat above the meadow, watching the two she-cat's as they went into the meadow to hunt. They remained silent as they searched for prey, occasionally glancing at one another and silently helping the other find some good food.

When their time was up, Rain had captured a thin, wiry rabbit and Dew a thick brown mouse. The two she-cats walked together back up to the cave, the Elite going to fetch the next cats for hunting. As they were going back into the cave, Rain spotted two young kits sitting sadly by the cave, staring longingly out at the meadow. She knew those kits. They had lost their mother to a wolf a few days ago and now had to fend for themselves, even though they were hardly five moons old. No one would take them in, since none of the mothers had the milk to spare.

Rain stared at the thin, weary kits, Dew giving her a cautious look and flicking her ears. Rain herself glanced around and, at seeing no eyes on her, approached the kits quietly and set the rabbit down. "Here," she breathed, nudging it closer to them as they shrunk back in fear. She stepped back, blinking at them gently as they stared up at her with round, frightened eyes.

When they saw she was making no movements towards them, they ever so hesitantly inched forward and began to ravenously devour the rabbit. Dew came up beside Rain, who was watching them gently. "Rain...you need to eat," Dew told her quietly. "I-if Shard finds out-"

"I don't think you need to worry about Shard finding out."

The two she-cat's looked around quickly, the kits scrambling away from the rabbit as a large tom approached them. His short, sleek pelt was the color of a late autumn sunset, marked with dark stripes of dying leaves. His golden eyes glimmered, a smirk on his lips as he approached them. "My, my, my," he chuckled, staring at them. "I can't believe two of Shard's dear mates are _breaking the **rules!**_"

The kits quickly ran away, their bodies low to the ground as the tom approached the partially eaten rabbit. He sat down beside it and hooked it with a rounded claw before tossing it at Rain's paw. "Eat," he said coolly.

Rain's ears flattened a bit. This tom was an Elite. She could tell. His large body and muscles were the only badge he needed to speak of his high rank and power. "...Those kits need to eat more than I do," she said quietly, lowering her eyes in submission.

"Oh?" He stood and began to slowly circle her, smiling coolly. "And what about your own kits? Don't they need to eat more than those kits do? Kits that aren't even related to you are more important than your own?"

"N-no..." she stammered quietly, shivering when his tail brushed her shoulder.

He stopped walking and moved closer to her until she could feel his breathing against her fur. "Then _eat_," he hissed into her ear.

Rain trembled and hesitated before bending down and sluggishly eating the remains of the rabbit. When she was finished, the Elite smacked the rabbit away, making her wince. "See?" He chuckled, pressing his side to hers, his face close to her own now. "Don't you feel better feeding your own kits?"

"Fallen!"

The tom quickly pulled away from Rain, whose shoulders fell limp with relief. Shard was coming towards them, his eyes narrowed on the Elite and his two mates. "What are you doing?" Shard demanded, stopping in front of the Elite, who straightened up and quickly licked the ruffled fur on his chest.

"I was just making sure these she-cats ate their catches," The tom called Fallen said calmly. "Prey is so scarce at the moment, Shard, that everyone needs to eat every bit of prey that they are permitted to catch."

Shard stared at him intently for a moment before closing his large orange eyes. "I see...so you were acting with the best interest of the Tribe..." Fallen seemed to relax and looked ready to take a compliment...but the compliment he believed he was going to get was replaced with a vicious lash of claws across his face. He howled in agony, making all of the cats in the cave look up in shock and terror.

Fallen dropped to the ground, his cheek bleeding heavily from three deep wounds. Shard bent down and growled dangerously into his ear; "Next time you try to give advice to my she-cats, it will be your eyes instead of your _**face**_!" He pulled back and glared threateningly at Rain and Dew, forcing them to lower their eyes in respect. He snorted before turning and walking off, leaving them with the trembling Elite at their paws.

It took Fallen a moment to compose himself but, when he did, he stood and quickly shook himself. He glared viciously around at any cats who were looking at him, making them quickly look away. He then glared hatefully at Rain before turning and storming off.

"...You need to be more careful, Rain," Dew meowed quietly, pressing her coat against the blue she-cat when she realized she was shivering. "It's bad to get on Fallen's bad side. I've heard nasty stories about him...you need to be careful with Shard, too. If he thinks you're seeing another tom-"

"I never would," Rain breathed shakily, her eyes full of fear. "I hate toms...I hate them." She shook her head and stood, walking over to a small stream of water that drizzled out into a pool at the side of the cave. She sat beside it and stared at her reflection for a moment before leaning down and lapping up the ice cold water. Dew came over and sat beside her, sighing.

"Rain...you know if there was a way out, I'd tell you about it. I'd get you out of here before I even bothered with myself-"

"Don't say things like that, Dew," Rain breathed against the surface of the water. "You'd get yourself out first," she closed her eyes. "If you tried to help me escape before you, I wouldn't let you." She sat up and stared at her friend sadly. "I'd want your life spared from this place more than my own."

"And what about your kits?" Dew looked at Rain's stomach before looking back at her. "Don't you care about them? Don't you want-"

"Of course I do!" Rain whispered, her voice cracking weakly. "I want the best of the world for them...but there is no best of the world...and there's no way out of here. I'm terrified of even trying to look for a way."

Dew was silent for a moment. "...If there was a way though, Rain, would you take it? If not for yourself, but for your kits?"

Rain sat there, staring into the water before closing her eyes and nodding. "Of course I would. If there was a way to save my kits from this life, I'd take that way without any regards for myself...but there isn't." She stood and turned, padding quietly away from her friend. She felt pathetic as she left the cave and walked up a small cliff above the cave, Elites glaring at her as she sat down on the cliff and stared across the mountains.

She wanted to do more for her kits. Not for herself, but for the innocent, helpless creatures inside of her. She wanted them to grow up happy and loved, not abandoned, starving and in fear of death every second of their lives. But she was terrified to leave. Leaving would mean being left alone in the vicious, violent world. Life was terrible in the Tribe, of course...but at least there was some slight form of protection, however faint it was. She heard a commotion somewhere below her and looked down to see two desperately skinny toms fighting one another viciously at the mouth of the cave.

A few Elites sat around her, jeering and laughing loudly as the toms snarled and shrieked, ripping one another open over a very thin rabbit on the ground to the side. Rain narrowed her eyes sadly when she saw an Elite grab the rabbit and quietly drag it away before eating it himself. The toms continued to fight desperately, not noticing the stolen rabbit until ones throat was slashed open by the other. The looser fell over, squirming on the grounds as blood gushed from his neck until he fell still. The winner looked around for his rabbit only to have an Elite spit something at him. The tom flattened his ears and tucked his tail, lowering his body to the ground before quickly slinking off.

An Elite looked at the bleeding body for only a moment before shoving it off the cliff. Rain winced at the sickening thud she heard when the body hit the canyon beneath their cave. In the distance, a loud howl stretched into the air, carried to her by the moaning wind. The wolves had clearly scented the blood and were most likely heading here now to feast.

"Hey, you!" Rain sat up and looked around, her heart dropping when she saw the sleek body of Fallen coming towards her. "Its past your time out," growled Fallen, glaring at her as he stopped a few paw steps away. "Get back in the cave!"

"I was just getting some fresh air-"

"_**GO!**_" Snarled Fallen, Rain instantly dropping to the ground. She looked up at the large tom timidly before slowly slinking away, going down the cliff side and returning to the cave. When she arrived, she found Shard waiting for her.

"Rain," he breathed huskily, coming to the she-cat and brushing her shoulder with his tail. He made her sit down before sitting down beside her, rubbing his cheek against hers. "You know..." he said quietly, looking at the submissive she-cat. "I was speaking with Crescent earlier...about those kits of yours."

Rain tensed a little. "I-...I-I'm doing my best to make sure they're born healthy, Shard," she told him quietly.

"Yes, that's the issue," he said with a heavy sigh, making her look at him in confusion. "See...I enjoy you a lot, Rain. You're my favorite she-cat and you know it...and with food as scarce as it is...the chance of you dying while giving birth to those kits is extremely likely...and I don't want to loose you," he smiled at her, despite the look of fear on her face. He stood and forced her to stand before shoving her to a private den that was guarded by two Elites. Once they were inside, he continued.

"I want to keep you with me for as long as I can, Rain," Shard told her solemnly, as if speaking these words was very hard for him. "So I think it'll be best for you, me and those kits...to get rid of them."

Rain's eyes widened, her tail covering her stomach as if that alone would protect it. "G...get...rid of them...?" She whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Yes, Crescent knows a way to get rid of those kits without harming you at all...I mean, you'll be in a bit of pain for a bit, but that's better than you dying," he smiled. "It's a good idea, isn't it? We'll do it tomorrow, then."

"_**NO!**_" Rain cried, springing to her paws and backing up some, panicked as she stared into his large orange eyes. "I-I don't want to get rid of them, Shard! Please! Please let them be born!"

He scoffed, his eyes narrowing some. "Rain, I would much rather loose some useless kits that will just die anyway than my favorite mate who I can preserve and keep by my side for as long as I like." He came closer, but she just scrambled away from him, her chest fluttering, her eyes dilating in terror.

"You can't!" She cried, shaking her head. "You can't kill my kits! You can't! I won't let you!"

"If it wasn't for me, Rain, you would have never even gotten those kits inside of you," She could tell he was growing frustrated, but she didn't care. She continued to back away from him until she was pressed against a wall. "Now, Rain, do as I say and calm down. If you panic too much tomorrow, you could be hurt in the process of destroying those wretched things."

"_**STAY AWAY FROM ME!**_" Rain shrieked, making Shard's fur stand on end in surprise. The normally quiet, docile she-cat was wild with terror and desperation. She tried to hide her stomach from him with her legs and tail, frantically trying to protect her unborn kits from their own father.

"Rain, calm down!" Shard snapped, advancing further.

"_**STAY AWAY!**_" The terrified mother screamed, pressing her entire body to the wall.

"Rain-"

"_**KEEP AWAY FROM MY KITS!**_" Rain bolted forward and slammed into Shard, bowling him off of his paws, a startled scream escaping the large tom. Rain viciously clawed at the thick haired cat, her eyes full of tears, blood roaring in her ears and her whole body aflame with a strange, murderous rage that was alien to her. All of her instincts were screaming for her to slice the throat of this tom that was threatening the lives of the defenseless kits nestled deep inside of her. She screamed incoherently at Shard as she ripped out paw-fulls of his fur, unable to hear anything but her own mind wailing and begging for her to protect her kits.

She didn't know when several Elites burst into the cave and dragged her off of Shard. All she knew was that she attacked them too, hissing, spitting and slicing open anyone who came close to her. She was, however, just one small, starving she-cat against several large, muscular toms. It wasn't long before she was overpowered. Four huge paws held her down as she shrieked, hissed and spat threat after threat after threat at the stunned Shard, tears flying from her eyes, her heart about to burst from her overwhelming fury.

She could only watch through her streaming tears as Shard slowly stood, shaking stray clumps of fur and droplets of blood from his body. He took a deep breath, clearly collecting himself before he approached the sobbing, struggling she-cat. "Move off of her shoulder," he commanded in a cool, collected voice to one of the Elites. The tom slid his paws away from her shoulder without hesitation.

The next moment, an agonizing pain ripped through Rain, making her scream in dreadful agony. Shard had ferociously dug his sharp claws into the flesh of her shoulder and in a long, painfully slow motion, pulled his paw down, leaving three deep, bleeding welts in her shoulder.

Rain twisted and yowled beneath the paws of the Elites, screaming her pain to the entire caves. Shard just stared down at the she-cat with cold, heartless eyes. "I will not repeat myself, Rain," he growled quietly. "We are getting rid of those kits tomorrow. What you want doesn't matter. Understand that." He looked at the Elites calmly. "Remove her from my site and then call all Elites to my den."

They dipped their heads respectfully and grabbed Rain's scruff, dragging the weakening she-cat out of the den. They brought her out into the main cave, the rest of the Tribe gathering to see what all of the commotion had been about. Rain faintly heard Dew crying out her name and, the next moment, she felt the familiar silky fur pressed against her own. Dew was shouting something at the Elites and, after a moment of arguing, the toms snorted and walked off, leaving the trembling, bleeding Rain with her friend.

"Rain..." Dew whispered, curling around her tightly and licking the deep claw marks on her shoulder. "Rain, w-what did you do...? For Shard to be like this...t-towards _you_...!"

Rain just shook her head and shoved her friend off. She laid there for a moment, all of the cats in the cave staring at her. She finally took a deep breath and rolled onto her stomach, wincing and gritting her teeth together as she forced herself to her paws. She wavered for a moment, swaying where she stood before finally finding comfortably footing. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking and glancing around her. She looked at all of the gaunt, frightened faces and frowned.

Her kits could end up exactly like this. Exactly like every member of the Tribe. Exactly like her. "I don't want that...!" She hissed in a quivering voice, her body quaking as she took a few steps forward.

"R-Rain...?" She heard Dew breathe. "Rain...don't want...what...?"

"_This!_" Rain hissed, tears swelling her eyes once more as she looked around her. "Shard...Shard wants to kill my kits...before they're even born...!"

"What!" Gasped a thin tabby queen from within the crowd.

"He wants to kill them!" Rain chocked out, feeling nauseous. "He wants to kill them...before they have a chance to live...but if they're born here...living won't be worth it!" Her tail flicked and she sucked in a desperate breath of cold air, trying to calm herself but failing. "...My kits...!" She managed to choke out, her ears flat, her mind reeling with exhaustion. "My sweet kits...!"

She stood there in silence for what felt like an eternity as she gazed blankly down at the cold stone beneath her paws. Eventually, she lifted her head warily, all eyes following her as she slowly looked at the entrance to the cave. She could see the sun beginning to set and closed her eyes, breathing in a soft breath. "I promise..." she breathed before collapsing into darkness.


	2. Escape

Frustration and fear prickled through Rain's paws as she paced back and fourth, back and fourth. Every step she made, every turn she made in the tiny den she was confined to was watched. Two large Elites sat at the entrance to the den, glaring down at her as she paced. When she had woken, she had been in this den. Th Elites watching over her had informed her once she was lucid that, as soon as morning came, Shard and Crescent would come for her and get rid of the kits. Her fate after that would be decided by Shard. Her heart was slamming into her chest so loudly she knew the Elites had to be listening to its ravenous beating. Her tail trembled as it dragged on the ground behind her and her ears sat against her skull, her eyes wide and filled with terror as thoughts of what would happen at dawn filled her head endlessly. She stopped pacing and looked out of the den at the sky. It was still dark, but it was lighter than it had been earlier.

A panicked yowl almost escaped her, but she managed to hold it in when the Elites glared at her and tapped their long claws threateningly against the cold ground. She ducked her head a bit and looked away, quickly resuming her pacing. She was growing more and more anxious as the sky gradually grew lighter. She paused, however, when a third Elite walked up to the other two. He was a black and white tom with piercing blue eyes and a thin, narrow face. One she knew well. "Shard wants to see you two," he said calmly, holding his head up high, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the other two toms. They didn't dare question him and hurried off to see what their leader wanted. The tom then turned his attention to Rain, his expression cold and stoic as he entered the den. The moment he was out of sight, love flooded into his eyes and he raced to Rain, nuzzling her tenderly and entwining his body around hers.

"Wave!" She breathed happily, trying to press herself as close to her brother as she possibly could. She felt his tongue rasp over her ear and then the untreated wound on her shoulder. She let out a trembling purr and stayed pressed against him for a moment before pulling back. "What are you doing here?" She asked quietly. "You're hardly ever allowed to leave the peak."

"Shard called back all Elites to the cave," he informed her. "All because of you. He wants every Elite to keep an eye on you and make sure you stay put until morning comes." He pulled back and looked at her, the seriousness in his eyes frightening her a bit. "Rain...Please, listen. I love you and you know I'd never do anything to hurt you...but I think you should just let Shard kill the kits."

"_**WHAT?**_" Rain cried, leaping back from her brother. He tried to quiet her but she ignored him, her eyes wide, her fur bristling. "Let him kill them? Let him kill my kits! Are you **STUPID?**"

"Rain, calm down!" Wave came closer and shoved her back some, glancing over his shoulder before looking back at her. "I'm thinking of what's best for you, Rain. As your older brother, I would rather have you loose those kits and live than be killed for protecting the kittens of someone you hate!"

"They're innocent!" She keened, staring up at him desperate. "It's not their fault Shard is their father! Why should they be punished just because Shard is a selfish piece of-"

"Rain!" Wave snapped, silencing her. "Rain...please. Calm down and listen to me," he sighed and nuzzled her cheek gently. "Your life is more important than theirs. To me, at least. A-and...I just think it would be in your best interest to let the kits be killed. At least then you could go on living."

"I don't care about me, Wave!" Rain argued, shaking her head. "I care about **them!** Shard could kill me as many times as he wanted, as long as he left the kits alone!" She looked over Wave's shoulder and whimpered when she saw a faint shade of purple mixing with the dark navy of the night sky. The stars were beginning to vanish from the sky and a very faint halo of light was spreading over the mountains. "It's almost morning!" She hissed, resuming her pacing. "What am I going to do...?"

"I gave you my advice, Rain," Wave murmured, sitting down and watching her. "I suggest you follow it, but...in the end, it's your deci-" He was silenced by an eerie sound that was carried into the cave by a cold wind. A distant howl danced into the giant cavern and moaned in the ears of every cat that dwelt within it. Rain felt ice filling her entire body at that dreary sound...and how close it seemed.

"Wolves!" Hissed Wave, his blue eyes wide as he looked at the mouth of the cave.

Rain watched over his shoulder as Fallen leaped down from a den higher up in the cave walls, shouting orders to the Elites within the cave. They all came at once, gathering at his call. Wave looked at Rain and prepared to join them. Before he could, however, a yowl from Shard silenced the cave. Rain saw the large tom come stalking out of his den, his orange eyes narrowed as he walked into the center of the cave. "Fallen, dismiss the Elites!" He snapped at the amber colored tom.

"What?" Fallen leaped down from the rock he had been standing on and approached their leader. "S-Shard, wolves are coming! You pulled all of our Elites from the watch out peaks, so now we have to put together our defenses-"

"We don't have to pull together any defenses!" Shard snapped. "There is a much simpler way to discern the wolves!" He shoved past the tom, walking over to another den. Rain followed him with her eyes, tensing in terror when he entered the den, a shrill cry of terror coming soon after. It wasn't long before Shard backed out of the den, dragging out a small kit with him. The kit's mother stumbled out of the den, clearly horrified as she pleaded with Shard to let the kit go. One tip of the leaders head and two Elites forced the queen to back away as Shard dropped her kit. "We will throw this kit into the canyon," he announced to the Elites and members of the Tribe. "The wolves will relish in the easy meal and will settle for it rather than going through the trouble of trying to get inside of the caves."

A frightened murmur rippled through the cave, almost drowned out by the wail of despair and terror that came from the kit's mother. Rain felt her heart leap to her throat as Shard picked up the kit and began to go to the cave entrance, the mother screaming at him and trying to get to her kit.

Before Rain even knew what she was doing, she heard Wave calling her name and the shocked gasps of her Tribe mates around her. The next thing she knew she had slammed into Shard and knocked him to the ground, the kit flying from his grasp and landing with a squeak a few tail lengths away. Shard screamed in fury and hooked his claws into Rain's shoulders, throwing her off of him. She flew towards the kit, almost landing on it, but somehow managed to flip herself to the side, landing painfully beside the kit instead of on it. She felt Shard's thunderous paws booming towards her and laid there for a moment, panting, before forcing herself up.

She met him head on, screeching and attacking his eyes. He howled in pain as she raked her claws across the tom's face, the acrid smell of blood so powerful it made her dizzy. He reared up, nearly throwing the small she-cat off of her. She persisted, however, and dug her claws fiercely into his thick sides. He bucked, twisted, turned and kicked, trying to throw Rain off of his shaggy body. She clung to him for dear life, thinking that, somehow, she'd be able to stay on him until he was worn out. That hope was destroyed, however, when Shard suddenly flung himself backwards. Rain cried out in pain as she was squashed beneath him.

With a furious spit, Rain kicked at the tom as hard as she could with her hind legs until she finally got him off of her. She leaped to her feet, ready to face him only to see him just standing there, panting and glaring at her. "Fallen!" He snarled, alerting the tom. "Throw that kit into the canyon!"

Rain's eyes whipped onto the crying kit in time to see Fallen scoop it up and race towards the yawning mouth of the cave. Rain screamed and raced after him, Wave howling for her to stop, Shard clearly charging after her. She ignored both of them and all of the commotion of the cave. She even ignored the ominous howling that was growing closer and closer. The only thing she was paying attention to was the desperately crying kitten, its wails reaching out to her and begging for her to save it.

The moment Fallen got out of the cave was the moment he stopped running. A heartbeat later, Rain exploded out of the cave as well and slammed into Fallen as hard as she could. The kit screeched as it landed dangerously close to the edge, its hardly opened eyes streaming with terrified tears. Rain rolled with Fallen, screaming and spitting along with the tom as they both scratched and bit at one another. Rain finally managed to pin him down and snapped threateningly at him before bo0unding off of his body, racing over to the kitten and scooping it up by its scruff.

"Rain!" Snarled Shard, making her freeze.

She looked over at the cave as Shard stalked out, the entire Tribe behind her. She saw Wave trying to keep a panicked Dew back, away from the danger. She saw the kitten's mother desperately struggling against two Elites to try and get to her kitten. Most of all, though, she saw the rage in Shard's eyes. "Rain..." he growled dangerously, taking a threatening step towards her. In reply, Rain took a step back, closer to the cliff side that led into the deep canyon below their cave.

"Rain...throw that kit into the canyon," Shard breathed dangerously.

She narrowed her eyes in both fear and anger before shaking her head.

"Rain, I will not kill those wretched kits if you just throw **that** kit into the canyon! Understand? You'll get what you want, so just throw the blasted kit into the canyon!"

She shook her head again and backed away even more, stopping when her back right foot nearly slipped down the cliff side.

"You'll get to keep those damned kits, Rain! What else do you want?"

Rain froze, staring at him. She felt all of the eyes of the Tribe burning into her fur. A soft wind blew around her, the howls of the wolves growing ever closer. Though, for some reason, they didn't sound as terrifying as they had moments ago. She hesitated, blinking, before slowly setting the kit down between her paws. She then lifted her head and stared right back at Shard. She was terrified. She was trembling, bristling her fur and reeked of fear scent...but she didn't back down. "I'm leaving, Shard," she told him in a quivering voice. "I'm leaving."

"_**HAA!**_" Shard threw his head back to let out the echoing laugh. He then lowered it, his body shaking with the blasting laughs that came from him. When he finally stopped, he lifted his head and stared maliciously at her. "Leaving?" He chuckled. "_**Leaving?**_ You leaving is as likely as our Tribe making peace with the wolves! You're a coward, Rain! You're one of the most pathetic, timid, cowardly cats I have ever met! Even if you somehow make it out of our territory before you are killed, you won't make it very far afterwards. I'll track you down and kill you...or nature itself will kill you."

"Let it try!" Rain cried, her voice cracking some, but she forced herself to stand strong. "Let nature try to kill me! _**YOU**_ try to kill me! You won't succeed!" She took a shaky breath, her eyes full of tears. "I may be a coward, Shard...I may be timid, a-and weak and pathetic...But I'll run from you and fight you for as long as I need to in order to protect my kits!"

Fallen growled and stood, starting to pad towards her until Shard stopped him.

Rain glared at Shard in confusion, wondering why he had stopped Fallen. A moment later, she found out. A howl sounded beside her that was so close and so terrifying that it sent a chill as cold as any ice right up her spine.

She grabbed the kit at her paws and leaped forward just in time. Right as her tail left the edge of the cliff, a pair of huge salivating jaws slammed down where she had been. Black talons raked at the icy cliff as the murderous, snarling wolf, fur the same shade as storm clouds, scrambled at the cliff side in a desperate attempt to trap Rain within its rotting yellow teeth.

All hell broke loose as the tribe cats wailed in horror and darted this way and that, climbing up the cliff leading above the cave in desperate attempts to escape the wolf. Rain could only watch in terror as three other wolves fought to get to her and the terrified cats of her Tribe. A shriek from the kit in her grip made her jolt back to reality. She realized with horror that the largest of the four wolves was focused on her and the wailing kitten. Eyes widening, Rain turned and bolted away from the cliff side, the wolf managing to haul itself up from the canyon and give chase. Rain could feel its foul breath on the back of her neck and was horrified that she would be killed right here. She was terrified that, despite the strength she had gathered in order to protect her unborn kits...that she would be killed by this wolf. That she would never be able to give her kits a chance to live.

To make matters worse, she was just managing to get some distance between the wolf and herself when a frighteningly familiar yowl caught her attention. The kit flew from her grasp as Shard leaped down from the cliffs and smashed into Rain, rolling her over and holding her down, claws digging into her flesh. "I'm going to kill you..." He hissed into her ear. "And I'm going to _**enjoy**_ it!"

"_**RAIN!**_"

With a grunt of pain Shard was thrown off of the trembling she-cat, Wave standing in his place, panting and bleeding, but not a bit deterred by his wounds. A vicious snarl behind her made Rain look over her shoulder. Her eyes widened at seeing Dew fighting furiously with the wolf that had been chasing her. "D-De-" Rain struggled to her paws and tried to help her friend, but Wave intercepted her.

"Go," he panted, shoving her to the side some.

Rain stumbled some before looking at him, terror making her shake like a leaf. "W-Wave-"

"_**GO!**_" Wave snarled, running at her with his claws extended.

Horrified, Rain turned and fled from him, running for only a moment before Wave stopped chasing her. The kit she had saved was crying and crawling nearby, seeking warmth and comfort from the day of fear. Rain glanced at it before looking over at Wave, who was staring at her with sad, loving eyes. She stared back with eyes that reflected the same emotions before she forced herself to look away. She looked at the kit and, without hesitation, scooped it back up and ran. She couldn't just leave it and it was impossible to get it back to its mother...so she took it with her.

She ran as fast as her legs would allow her, not looking back once. She was so worried about her brother and her dear friend...but she knew she couldn't stay. She was horrible at fighting. At the fighting she had done up until now had been based off of pure instinct. She knew she would be worthless in defending those she loved against the wolves. The only lives she was able to protect from the wolves were the kits inside of her and the young kit dangling from her jaws.

Everything became oddly silent the further and further she got from the cave. It all seemed unreal. She didn't recognize anything nor were any scents the least bit familiar to her. She didn't see any other cats and she felt no one constantly breathing down her neck.

On one hand, it was exhilarating, liberating and exciting...on the other hands, it was positively terrifying. She had never been so alone as she was now, racing along the narrow paths that wound through the mountains.

After an unknown amount of time, Rain had to stop. The kitten had fallen silent, though she could tell it was still breathing. The path she had been following had ended with the huge face of a cliff. It was impossibly to climb up it, Rain realized, after a few minutes of observing. She frowned and set the kit down for a moment before padding over to the edge of the path that seemed to drop off into sheer nothingness. Looking down, she saw that there was a roughly flowing river at the bottom of the cliff she was standing on. Her heart dropped until she spotted a steep, narrow, but still existent path leading down to the river. Further down the river was a fallen, clearly dead tree that was trapped in place by several fallen boulders. She followed the tree with her gaze and saw that she could easily get to the other side of the river by crossing it.

"Well..." she sighed. "It's risky, but it seems like the only option I have..." she turned back to the kit and picked it up, then returning to the beginning of the zig zagging path that led to the river. She began the dangerous track down the narrow path, eyes on her paws, being extremely careful with every small, delicate step she took.

She paused when the kit began to struggle and whine, flailing its paws and squeaking in protest, obviously demanding to be released. Rain took a deep breath before continuing, doing her best to ignore the kits fighting and keep her balance. The closer she got, the louder the roaring of the river became and the more dangerous it revealed itself to be. She was still a good distance from the bottom of the path when she felt flecks of water being sprayed at her from the roaring rapids below.

Rain winced when the kitten, whose struggling intensified the further they went, managed to fling its paws up so far it scratched her. The world seemed to flip over as she lost her balance, leaning precariously over the side of the path. With a muffled cry of terror, Rain scrambled against the stone under her paws, trying to correct her balance. She managed to do so just in time, backing away from the edge until she was pressed against the stone hugging the dangerous path.

For a moment she just stared at the roaring waters that had almost devoured her. When she registered that she had not fallen, her shoulders weakened and she let out a breath of relief.

She soon realized, however, that said breath came far too soon.

A loud cracking alerted her to what was about to happen. Before she could react, the stone gave way beneath her paws. Her stomach flipped and leaped to her throat as she seemed to hover in mid air for what seemed like forever. The moment she looked down, however, time resumed its flow and she plummeted down, an electrifying terror coursing through her entire body.

She grasped the kitten firmly in her teeth, reaching her paws up to it and managing to wrap them around the kitten right as she hit the water.

It was like no pain she had ever experienced before. All of the breath was knocked out of her in one single, shattering blow. Her mind ejected itself from her body to escape the pain that was the freezing water. It stabbed her body with thousands and thousands of tiny needles that were colder than the coldest ice. She was encased in those needles, unable to struggle free, unable to even take a single breath.

She felt the blood thirsty snatch the kit from her and parted her yowls in a scream only for the freezing water to rush into her, invading her body and attacking the warmth within. She was tossed about like a rag doll, her body slamming into rock after rock as all of the air rushed out of her quicker than anything she had ever experienced before.

Desperate, Rain tried to kick her back legs only for the river to grab them and flip her over. She flew into the air, a strangled cry of agony escaping her before she crashed back into the icy waves. She closed her eyes tightly and fought with all of her weakened might against the river, but in her heart, she knew there was no use. This was how she was going to die. She had escaped Shard, she had escaped the wolves...but now, the river was going to take her. It was going to swallow her whole and never give her body the satisfaction of seeing the light of the sun ever again.

When a piercing pain stabbed at her neck, she figured it was just the river, grabbing her scruff to drag her into its abyss, ending her torment. This thought was put to the side, however, by the barely conscious confusion that sprung up when something hauled Rain upwards. Sudden strength that burned like fire screamed at her to fight. And so she did. She kicked and writhed viciously, pushing against the water, desperately trying to go to where the pain in her neck was pulling her.

Suddenly, her head broke the surface.

She took in a deep, hungry breath. The cold air stung her lungs, but it was such a relief compared to the cold water that had been filling them. She coughed and gasped, still fighting as something hauled her out of the water and then dropped her onto a cold slab of stone.

For a moment, she couldn't breathe. After her first breath, no others had arrived. She just gulped pathetically, like a fish yanked from the water it needed to survive. When something pressed down hard on her chest, she felt bile rising in her throat and flipped over, vomiting up what seemed to be the whole river.

When it ended she laid there, trembling in the cold, coughing and panting shakily. A pathetic mewling soon reached her ears and made her freeze. Looking to her side, she saw the small kitten from the Tribe trembling beside her, its body looking so much smaller now that its fluffy baby fur was soaked to its skin.

Rain struggled to sit up, trying to get to the kit to comfort and warm it. She was stopped, however, by a large, dark ginger paw stepping between herself and the kitten. She blinked blearily, confused. After a small hesitation, she blue she-cat slowly looked up to see who was keeping her from the kitten. Terror entered her the moment she saw the cat that was between them.

He was one of the largest toms she had ever seen. This tom could easily take on Fallen, Wave and Shard all together...and win. His short, ruffled pelt was such a dark shade of orange that it was almost brown. Two narrowed, golden eyes stared coldly down at her...but that wasn't the terrifying part. This cat had the face of a killer. Snarling lips that revealed snow white, jagged fangs threatened to snap her in half if she even so much as moved. A scrunched up nose caused so many creases and lines on the cat's face that a permanent shadow had been cast between his eyes and to the top of his nose. He had scars all over. Everywhere she looked, a scar of some varying length or size scored into his fur.

Her eyes hesitantly traveled to the terrifying tom's paws, which she now noticed had claws that looked as sharp as an eagle's talons. Her heart hammering, Rain slowly looked back up at the murderous cat before her.

"Who are you?" He growled in a voice so gravely and dry, it sounded like he had never had a drink of water in his life. "And _why_ are you on _**my**_ land?"

* * *

**Cliffhanger. :3 So, while I didn't do any Authors Comments on chapter one, here I am, doing one now at the end of chapter two. So, to all who read this, it is very nice to meet you and I hope you enjoyed this chapter of "Dreams of Rain". Please continued to read~!**


	3. Zero

"Go ahead and lay down. You need to get warm and get those wounds taken care of." The dark ginger tom walked away from Rain as she hesitantly laid down in the cave he had led her to. The kit lay snuggled between her paws, trembling and crying weakly. After Rain had told the tom her name, he had demanded that she follow him. With nowhere else to go, she did so willingly. He had taken her to a decent-sized, relatively warm cave in the face of the mountain. She was terrified of him...but she knew trying to fight him off and stay in the cave herself would be useless. She watched as the tom began to gather a pile of dried sticks and twigs in front of her, his threatening face showing no emotion as he worked.

It wasn't long before a pile the same size as the kitten was in front of her. She looked up and saw the tom shove a large, flat stone close to the pile. He then climbed up onto a small outcropping before quickly shoving a much larger rock down. Rain jumped in shock as the rock fell down and flipped against the other, sparks flying up and falling onto the pile of sticks. Smoke began to rise from the pile as a fire slowly formed. "There," grunted the tom, leaping down. "Now you and that kit can get warm. Lick its fur in the opposite direction to help dry it quicker." He came over to her and began to do the exact same to her fur.

Rain looked at him in surprise, feeling very awkward, but did as he said and began to lick the kit's fur in the opposite way it grew. It wasn't long before the kit was completely dry, its fur soft and fluffy instead of damp and flat. It curled up against Rain's chest, purring quietly as it fell asleep. Rain was also soon dry thanks to both the fire and the strange tom grooming her fur. Once she was dry and warm, he left her and went to the opposite side of the fire, lying down. "You said your name is Rain, right?" He asked her quietly.

She looked at him, hesitating before giving a small nod.

"And you're pregnant?"

Another small nod.

He looked over and put his paw in a hole that was in the side of the cave wall. He dragged out two large, plump mice, moving one in front of him and then shoving the other towards her. "Eat," he told her, bending his head and eating his own mouse.

Rain blinked and looked down at the mouse, staring for a moment before she tentatively began to nibble on the mouse. The moment she tasted it, however, her eyes widened and she began to ravenously devour the mouse. It was the most amazing thing she had ever tasted. It was plump and had clearly been healthy and well fed. She left nothing of the mouse but its bones, sighing comfortably once she was done eating.

"Feel better?" asked the tom, also done with his own mouse.

Giving a small nod, Rain licked her paw and looked up at him. "Yes, thank you, um..."

"Zero," he blinked his golden eyes slowly.

Her eyes traced over his frightening profile, observing the absence of whiskers on his face. "A-and...Zero...you live out here alone?"

He nodded, his tail flicking a bit. "What about you? What is a pregnant mother doing out here, with a kit no less? You know there are wolves running about the mountains, right?"

"Of course I do...I live-...lived further up in the mountains. With a Tribe."

His ears twitched curiously. "Tribe?"

"A group of cats that live together in a cave..."

"Why are you all the way out here, then? Shouldn't you be with your Tribe?"

"I left," she mewed quietly, giving a small shrug.

Zero frowned, looking confused. His expression, though, made Rain flinch some. He looked more viciously angry than curious and, in the back of her mind, she was working out a plan to get away if he attacked her. "And why would you leave a place where you were safe?"

"I was anything but safe there," she whispered shakily. "S-Shard...our leader a-and...my mate...he wanted to kill my kits...because he'd rather lose them than lose me, one of his favorite mates..."

"One of?"

"He has many," Rain looked up a bit, grimacing. "Any she-cat he thinks is pretty, he takes as a mate. It doesn't even matter if he's related to them...if they're pretty and he selects them, they become one of his mates." She sighed and closed her eyes, licking the kit's head gently. "I...I'm terrified to be away from the Tribe...but I couldn't stay. I couldn't just sit there and let him kill my kits...!"

Zero was staring at her, his eyes tracing all of the bones that were jutting out of her scarred, dull blue pelt. "Was food scarce?" he asked softly.

Rain looked up, surprised by how gentle his voice was. She was confused by how his face remained terrifying and intimidating, despite the tender tone of his voice. After a moment, she gave a small nod. "Everyone was only allowed to hunt once a day," she murmured, "and all of the food was so thin and lifeless that it was hard to ever get a full stomach. And, if you didn't catch prey during your time that day, you'd go hungry until you could hunt again the next day." She sighed shakily. "I lost count as to how many mothers, kits, elders...h-how many died because they never got enough food..."

The cave was silent after her words, the only sound coming from the soft crackling of the fire. "...I can see why you left, then," Zero murmured. "That doesn't sound like a life anyone would want to bring kits into...Have others left before you?"

"A lot tried. But none of them got far before Shard's special guards, the Elites, caught them and killed them."

"So how did you get all the way here?"

"Wolves. Shard...was going to give this kit to them to keep them from attacking the caves...so I saved it and, in the chaos of the wolves attacking the Tribe...I ran..." Rain looked down at the kit sadly. "I feel bad for this kit being separated from its mother...but I couldn't leave it for its mother to find it later. The wolves would have snatched it up the moment I left it."

"I don't blame you for taking it, then," Zero looked at the kit for a moment before standing, licking his chest. "Get some rest. You can stay here until you've regained some energy. Then you can be on your way to wherever you're going."

"...T-thank you," Rain meowed quietly, eyes following him as he went to another hole in the wall. He scooped out some dark green leaves and, holding them in his mouth, returned to Rain's side. He chewed up the leaves before putting their remains on his paw. He began to spread them onto the fresh, deep wounds on her body.

Rain winced, the substance stinging the scratches severely. "This'll keep them from getting infected," Zero assured her. "Just relax and they'll start to feel better." He finished applying the medicine before leaving her be.

She watched him walk to the mouth of the cave before she sighed and laid her head down beside the sleeping kit. She closed her eyes and, only moments later, was fast asleep.

* * *

"Rain, wake up."

The she-cat opened her eyes sleepily to see a fat rabbit in front of her. She lifted her head, seeing Zero sitting nearby, his scarred tail wrapped around his large paws. The fire had gone out and Rain could tell it was almost sunrise, due to the pale purple and pink hues of the sky. "...T-thank you," she mewed softly, eating the rabbit gratefully and, once again, leaving only bones and some fur.

"The kit is awake," Zero informed her, motioning to Rain's tail with his own.

She looked over her shoulder to see the small kitten walking about, wobbling with every step. Its eyes had opened a bit more and it looked excited and perky as it shakily padded after Rain's bushy tail. Now that she wasn't so exhausted and panicked, Rain could tell with a small sniff that the kitten was a female. Her coat was a diluted tortoiseshell color, some white splashed on her chest, muzzle and paws.

Rain watched the kit for a moment before she looked back at Zero, who was staring at the kitten as well. "Um...Z...Zero?" His eyes turned to her and she flinched a bit at the furious glare he seemed to give her. "Where...do you find such healthy food...? A-and how do you hunt it?"

"You just need to look in the right places...places that are hidden from predators such as wolves and eagles and places that have both water and food sources. And don't you know how to hunt?"

"The meadow where we hunted in back at the cave...was very small. And the prey was always too weak to fight back or run..." She shuffled her paws a bit. "I-I want to know how to hunt properly...so when I leave, I can provide for her," she glanced at the kit, "and my own kits..."

Zero blinked and nodded. "Wait until that little one is asleep. Then I'll take you out and teach you."

She stared at him in shock. "Y-you'd really do that?"

"I can't just let you leave knowing you can't hunt for your kits." Zero lifted his paw and began to groom, Rain just staring at him.

"Y...you know, Zero...you seem...really nice for-"

"For someone with this kind of face?" huffed the tom. He turned his head away from her, sighing. "I look like I'm going to kill you, right? Like I'm furious at you for no reason and want to rip you to shreds."

She flinched a little, remaining silent.

Zero accompanied her silence for a few minutes, watching the kit as it slowed down, more and more, until it finally laid down and curled up, falling fast asleep. Zero then stood, stretching a bit. "Come on, then. I'll teach you some hunting." He left the cave, Rain hesitating before standing and following him. He led her out of the cave, Rain able to hear the distant roaring of the river she had nearly drowned in. Zero seemed to be making sure that he was taking an easy path for the she-cat, stopping every time she fell a bit behind and waiting for her until she caught up with him.

"In the mountains," he began to speak as they walked, "it's best to look for prey where there are a lot of overhanging stones, like these. Prey like them, because they're good to hide under to avoid predators. This is an ideal area, with these stones, this grass and a creek that runs nearby." Zero sat down quietly in the short grass. "The wind is blowing towards us, so sniff the air and see what you can smell."

Rain nodded and tipped her head back some, sniffing. "...I smell...rabbit?" she guessed quietly, not too familiar with the smell.

"Young ones, but yes. Now, the important thing to remember about rabbits is that their hearing is amazing. Before they see you, they'll hear you. So you need to be completely silent when stalking a rabbit." He stood and lowered his body to the grass, his tail down but not touching the grass. He slowly stalked forward hardly making a single sound. The faint rustling of the grass under his paws could easily be passed off as a soft breeze. He stopped and straightened up. "Try it."

Nodding, Rain lowered herself close to the grass, swallowing some as she tried to creep forward silently, like him. "Not that low," he corrected her, walking to her side and watching her. "The grass is brushing your belly. Raise up a bit."

She did as he said.

"Keep your rear down more. Tail straight out...yes, like that. Step one paw at a time, like counting to two. One, two, one, two...close your mouth. A rabbit will hear your breathing too easily." He examined her for a moment before nodding. "Good job...you're a fast learner."

Rain paused and sat up, looking at him. "W-what other prey can you teach me to hunt?"

He taught her different hunting positions and methods for the entire day, not making her return to the cave until the sun began to set. Rain was proudly carrying in a large rabbit that she had managed to catch all on her own after several tries. "So...how long have you lived here?" Rain asked Zero quietly as they entered the cave, Rain setting down the rabbit while Zero made another fire. The kit was still fast asleep.

"My whole life," he answered simply.

"A...always by yourself?"

"Not always."

"Why...are you alone now?"

He sat up and looked at her with his constantly glaring face, making her flinch. "I-I'm sorry," she mewed, ducking her head in apology, wrapping her tail around the kitten. "I-I didn't mean to be nosy..."

A soft sigh came from Zero as he finished off the fire. He then sat down, staring into the flames. "I lived here with my mother and my father," he told her, making her look up. "They raised me to be an expert hunter of the mountains, just like they both were. My mother taught me everything she knew gently, but firmly. My father, however, seemed to prefer using more violent methods to teach me. If I made a mistake, he'd add a scar to my body: a permanent reminder that failure wasn't tolerated." He lowered his eyes, frowning. "One day, my mother and I were out hunting. I left her side for a moment to get a mouse off to the side...the next thing I knew, I heard an eagle screeching and my mother screaming. I ran back to find blood and some of her fur..." His voice caught for a moment, but he continued after swallowing. "I returned to my father and told him what had happened...he said it was the ultimate failure...and attacked me. He left so many scars...more and more and more...I thought he would kill me...so I did what I had to."

Rain stared at him, her green eyes wide. "...You-"

"I killed him," Zero said with a soft sigh, looking down at his paws. "I did what I needed to do in order to survive. And to this day, I don't regret killing him. It made me stronger..." he gave a small shake of his body. "From then on, I lived here alone," he finished. "Always fighting for survival in the mountains...but surviving all the same."

"...It must be lonely," Rain sympathized quietly, making Zero looked at her. "Having to stay here, all by yourself, for so long...it's sad that you've had to live your life that way."

"...Let's just say it's my way of atoning for killing my father and letting my mother die," Zero murmured. "I'm not ashamed of it, nor am I proud of it...but at least I can say I'm still alive."

"That's an accomplishment on its own." Rain looked at Zero, who gave a sour chuckle at her words. "...Thank you for all of your help, Zero," she said suddenly, making him fall silent. "I think I'll leave tomorrow morning."

He frowned slightly. "Leave? Already?"

"I...don't want to stay in one place for too long...especially not in the mountains," Rain dragged her paw on the ground some, watching it as though it was fascinating. "I'm...extremely thankful for you helping me... but I left...so that I could find a place where my kits can be born and grow happily, with all of the freedom I've never had. They...that life doesn't lie in the mountains."

"...You're right," Zero sounded a bit upset, but he nodded. "Kits...don't belong in the mountains. I should know that better than anyone." He sighed and nudged a loose stick into the fire. "Go ahead and eat then get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow."

"Thank you, Zero."

* * *

When morning came, Rain woke to a freshly caught mouse that Zero had gone out and hunted for her. The wobbly footed kit was bumbling around the cave, squeaking as she tried to chase Zero's tail while he prepared some strange smelling herbs. "Here," he mewed to Rain, setting the herbs in front of her. "These herbs will give you strength. They'll also give some nutrients to the kits, to help them along."

She looked at it before looking up at him and smiling. "Thank you."

He nodded and looked at the tortoiseshell kit as Rain continued to eat. "She doesn't have a name, right?" He asked.

Rain paused and looked at her. "...I suppose she doesn't. She's so young; I doubt her mother had named her yet. Or if she had, I doubt the kit remembers it."

Zero hesitated before glancing at Rain, his golden eyes as sharp as ever. "How about Angel?"

Rain swallowed her mouthful of mouse and looked at him curiously. "What's an Angel?"

"My mother used to tell me about them. There are these creatures, called Twolegs...Angels are Twolegs, but they have wings. Apparently they're known for protecting Twolegs and are sometimes called 'Guardian Angels'...Your protected her, like they said Guardian Angels do...so why not Angel?"

The she-cat looked at the squeaking kit for a moment before smiling gently. "Angel is beautiful," Rain agreed, sitting up and gently grabbing the kit's scruff. She pulled her close and licked her cheek tenderly. "Angel it is, then."

Zero looked pleased and ended up grooming Angel as Rain finished off her meal. When she was done, she stood and looked at Zero. "We need to be going now," she told him, making him stop playing with the little kit. He hesitated before sighing and nodding, pushing himself to his paws. "I'll show you to the safest path in the area...then you can be on your way."

Nodding, Rain bent down and picked up Angel, then followed Zero as he left the cave. She looked up at the sky as they went, admiring the colors of the encroaching sunrise. They walked along in silence, the darkness of the mountains gradually being lifted as the sun peeked over them and dropped gently rays of light onto Rain and Zero as they walked.

They soon reached a peak that gently sloped downwards into an open meadow. Further on, past the meadow, a few more mountains sat, but the bulk seemed to be behind her, back towards the Tribe. "Just follow this path and you'll get to the meadow," Zero informed her. "Go through the meadow and you'll reach a Twoleg town. I don't know what's past it, but maybe it's somewhere that you can raise your kits in peace."

Rain sat Angel down and turned to Zero, smiling. "I can't say thank you enough to show I really mean it, Zero," Rain mewed softly. "We both would have drowned in the river if you hadn't of saved us."

"...Just be more careful in the future," Zero mumbled, not looking at her. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

"So do I..." Rain bent down to pick up Angel, but hesitated. She looked uncertain for a moment before she looked back up at Zero, averting her eyes a bit nervously. "You're...very kind, Zero," she said gently. "You're the exact opposite of what your face says you are...I'm sorry for judging you before I knew you..." She saw the confused look on his face and just shrugged. "...G-goodbye, then." She picked up Angel and turned, glancing back at him before hurrying off down the path.

She felt him watching her for a long time, though she didn't look back. She felt bad for leaving the obviously lonely cat...but she needed to find a place that would give a good life for her kits. She wished Zero the best in his life and could only hope that she would someday see him again.

The path she was traveling on was oddly silent. Her paw steps hardly made a single sound. Even the wind was silent, giving the air a thick, desolate feeling. She walked for a long time, eyes focused on the meadow in the distance. Occasionally, she stopped to hunt. She wasn't nearly as good as Zero, but after several failed attempts, she managed to get a mouse. She split it with Angel, having to chew up the mouse to get the kit to eat it. She knew the tiny kitten needed to drink milk, but she wasn't producing any yet, so she couldn't provide her with it.

Two days passed of Rain just trekking along the path, finding an outcrop of stone like the ones Zero had shown her to sleep under at night. It was at the end of the second day that Rain stopped, sitting down on the path and letting out an exhausted breath. She set Angel between her paws, grimacing as she saw how much further she had to go. "The path didn't look this long when I started..." she mumbled. She looked over her shoulder, back at where she had left Zero, and was shocked at how far away it was. Huffing, Rain laid down, her tail curled around Angel, who had began to cry pathetically.

"I know you're hungry," Rain murmured, licking the kit to try and calm her. "I'm sorry I can't give you milk...and I doubt there's anymore prey hanging around until we get to the meadow..."

Sighing, Rain stood back up, picking up Angel as she prepared to continue on her way. She paused, however, when she heard a distant yowl. Her head jerked up, eyes wide. She was terrified that Shard's Elites had found her. Panicking, the young cat made sure she had a solid grip on Angel before racing off down the path, running as fast as her thin legs would allow her. Another yowl sounded from somewhere behind her and she pushed herself to run faster, fear flooding through her as she thought of what would happen if she was caught.

She would be dragged back to the Tribe and her kits would be killed indefinitely. And, even if Shard decided to spare her, he would make sure her life would become a literal hell.

_I don't care about that!_ She screamed to herself as she ran, her lungs cold due to how much of the icy air she was gulping in. _My kits...I can't get caught! For the sake of my kits!_

She was so caught up in her thoughts and her panic to keep her kits safe that she didn't notice a pair of stones, tied together by a thick vine, flying through the air towards her. A strangled cry escaped the she-cat as device came to her legs and flung around them, twisting around her paws and throwing her to the ground. She landed painfully on her side, Angel flying a bit away from her with a terrified squeal.

Rain laid there for a moment, stunned, before she viciously began to kick her legs until she broke free. She scrambled up and tried to rush to Angel only for a large, dark golden tom to leap in front of her, cutting her off from the crying kit. Rain stumbled backwards, eyes wide in horror. Her heart stopped for a moment when she backed right into a broad chest. Whipping around, Rain found herself corned by both the golden tom and a thin, dark red she-cat.

Thinking they were Elites, Rain unsheathed her claws and hissed viciously at them. "I'm not going back!" She screeched, flinging herself at the she-cat. She bowled her over and scratched at her furiously, though it wasn't long before she was pinned to the ground, a paw on her throat. The red she-cat glared down at her mercilessly, her dark green eyes flashing at the look of terror in Rain's gaze.

"Rosemary," The golden tom gathered the she-cat's attention, "Rosemary, Basil told us to just capture the stranger traveling nearby. Not kill her. You can tell she's pregnant...let's just take her back, like we're supposed to." He turned to pick up Angel.

"Don't touch her!" cried Rain, struggling to get up, but the cat called Rosemary held her down like she was nothing but a butterfly.

The tom looked at her calmly. "I am not going to harm her." He bent his head and picked up Angel by her scruff. He gave Rosemary a hard look, making her huff in annoyance before she stepped off of Rain.

The blue cat leaped to her paws and tried to run at the tom, growing frustrated when Rosemary stopped her. "Stop it," The tom meowed, passing Angel to Rosemary. "We've been watching you since you left that rogue. We don't want to hurt you. Our leader wants to help you, actually."

Rain flattened her ears nervously, her eyes darting between both of the cats. "...L-let me carry the kit!" She demanded.

They both stared at her for a moment before the tom dipped his head. Rosemary huffed in annoyance but handed Angel over to Rain. "Now, come with us," the tom said quietly, turning and walking in the direction Rain had come from. She considered running only to be flanked by Rosemary, who was watching her so intensely that Rain knew she'd be caught if she tried to run.

So, however reluctantly it was, she followed them, back up the winding trail she had taken towards the meadow. She thought they were going to Zero's cave...until the tom turned down a much more rocky, ragged path that Rain had not noticed before. She hesitated to follow him but had no choice, Rosemary growling threateningly at her to move on.

The rocks of the path were sharp and painful and, within minutes, Rain could feel blood seeping from her pads onto the harsh stones below. "It's not much further," the golden tom called over his shoulder to her. "...My name is Ervan, by the way. Yours?"

She glared at him with a mix of fear and fury, hesitating before giving a cautious answer. "Rain..."

"So you are called Rain?"

She froze at the new, unfamiliar voice. Looking up, the young she-cat was shocked to see a huge, slightly rounded mountain sitting before her. Its color was very different from the rest of the shades of gray of the mountains around her. The stones it was made of were a dark, dark brown...almost red. Stones that stretched up, almost like walls, hugged the sides of the mountain, several cats standing in rows on their tops. The walls parted at one point, leaving an opening that led to the large, yawning entrance of a mountain cave. Standing in front of said entrance was a slender, beautiful she-cat.

Her short, dazzling coat looked like it was made out of the purest honey, black stripes and darker shades of brown ticking through it. Her almond-shaped blue eyes pierced right through Rain, leaving her in a state of frozen silence.

The she-cat smiled and dipped her head slightly. "Welcome, Rain, to The Orphanage."

* * *

**Yaaaay, finished chapter three and brought in two of my favorite characters! -face of glee- Now...I go to bed. -dies-**


	4. The Orphanage

Rain took a frightened step back as the beautiful tabby she-cat approached her, her blue eyes staring at her intensely. "You have no need to be afraid, Rain," the she-cat purred, smiling as she stopped a tail length from the young mother. "My name is Basil. I am the Director of this place." She motioned with her tail to the large red mountain behind her. "On behalf of all of the officers here, Rain, I welcome you to The Orphanage."

"W-...what is it?" Rain asked cautiously as she set Angel between her paws, her eyes flicking to the cats on the walls. They were clearly guarding the dark red mountain.

"Surely you know what an Orphanage is," Basil mewed with a sweet smile, coming closer and placing her tail on Rain's shoulder. "We are an organization started by myself and my mate, Halvin. We take in kits that have either lost their parents or have been abandoned by them. We raise them and help them grow into powerful, intelligent cats that will someday be able to fend for themselves." She smiled and motioned at Rain's stomach. "We also take in mothers and fathers in need. We take care of them and help them raise and care for their precious kits."

Rain stared at her, partially frightened, partially skeptical, and partially intrigued.

Basil seemed to read the look in her eyes perfectly and chuckled a bit. "I know it must be hard to believe! A bunch of strange cats that live in a mountain who care for kits. Sounds weird, doesn't it?"

She remained silent, looking nervously at the sleek, beautiful she-cat. She glanced down at Angel when the kit suddenly let out a loud, pleading wail.

A heart melting look of gentility adorned Basil's pretty face as she looked at the crying kit. "The poor dear...she's starving. You look like you are as well, Rain..." Basil looked at Ervan and Rosemary. "Rosemary, go tell the Caretakers to be prepared to care for the kit and this poor dear. Ervan, you know your job."

Both cats dipped their heads before turning and hurrying off, vanishing into the mouth of the large cave.

"Now," Basil smiled at Rain, "Come along, Darling. We'll get you all fixed up and taken care of. That sweet kit and the kits inside of you need the nourishment and care our Orphanage can provide."

Rain hesitated, though, looking uncertain. "I...I'm actually traveling...to try and find a place where I can raise my kits peacefully..."

"Well, perhaps this is the place you've been looking for? We may not be a beautiful forest, but we're all a family here. We take care of one another and care for all cats in our midst." Basil turned towards the cave and began walking. "Just try giving us a chance, Rain. No one is going to force you to stay, after all."

She stared after Basil for a moment before sighing, looking down at Angel. She couldn't deny she and the kitten needed food, warmth and rest...and this place seemed safe and decent enough. _If it's not, I can leave whenever I wish._ she told herself reassuringly. With that thought comforting her, Rain picked up Angel and followed Basil.

She looked up at the guards in cautious curiosity as she passed through the huge opening in the walls that surrounded the mountain. She grew even more nervous than she already was when they approached the mouth of the cave. Basil looked at her and slowed down some until she was walking beside the smaller cat. "The Orphanage has been open for as long as I have been alive," Basil informed her calmly as they entered the cave. At first, it was too dark for Rain to see anything. But gradually, she began to notice dim lights made of some kind of turquoise colored stone covering the walls and ceiling of the entry way to the cave. "Of course, the mountain didn't look like it when we first got here...but I think it has evolved amazingly."

Rain froze when they entered the main chamber of the cave. Well, she could hardly call it a cave. It seemed like the entire mountain was hollowed out. Like a spiral staircase, a path of stone that started on the ground Rain stood on jutted out from the wall, and wound all around the emptied out mountain, up higher and higher until Rain couldn't even see it. She could see many passageways that connected to the winding path that led into dark tunnels further into the stone. A single golden ray of light hit the center of the floor, seemingly falling from the very top of the mountain.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Basil mewed, clearly pleased with herself as she looked around the inside of the mountain. "The mountain was found like this and, gradually, my mate developed it as he needed to to make it a successful orphanage." She smiled at the stunned look on Rain's face. "Come. I'll show you to our nursery."

Rain hesitated before following her, looking around as she walked, surprised at how many cats there were. Some were chatting on the base level, pausing their conversations to look at the blue she-cat with curious eyes. Some were entering and exiting the many entrances that branched off from the spiraling stone, holding herbs or prey in their mouths as they went. "Care of young ones and mothers is distributed equally within the Orphanage," Basil continued to speak as they began to walk up the twisting pathway. "She-cats that work in the Orphanage are known as Caretakers. They are either mothers who no longer need to be with their kits or she-cats that come here willingly to help our cause. They care for both kits and queens. We are protected by our Guards, mainly toms but a few she-cats as well. We also have Healers who help Caretakers care for queens and sick kits."

Basil looked over her shoulder at Rain and smiled. "After I show you the Nursery, you can go to the resting hall where Queens relax and raise their kits inside of them. I already have a Caretaker in mind for you."

"Temporarily," Rain murmured through Angel's scruff.

"Temporarily," Basil agreed with a dip of her head.

Rain relaxed slightly at that. Basil didn't seem like she had any ill intent. She was a beautiful, kind and intelligent she-cat who was kindly offering Rain and Angel comfort and shelter for as long as they liked. _Maybe it can be a place to live..._Rain though with a soft sigh. _It_ s_eems nice...it may be in a mountain, but it seems like such a nice place..._

She looked up curiously when, as they approached one entryway, she heard a series of loud squeals and meows from kits of varying ages. Ears twitching curiously, she followed Basil a bit quicker as they walked into the separate tunnel. In only a few minutes they reached an out cropping of stone, another path winding downwards into a large basin-like cave that was absolutely **filled** with kits. Nests in openings in the walls had queens lying on their sides inside of them, tiny kits suckling at their bellies. Older kits frolicked and played joyfully in the cave, guards standing around and keeping a close eye on the kits.

"This is the nursery," Basil told her, looking proudly down at all of the happily playing kittens. "Mothers with kittens older than two moons live here until their kits are five moons old. Then the mothers come to the Birthing Room to work as Caretakers and the kits live here until they're old enough to become either Guards or Caretakers."

"Are those...the only two work options here?" Rain asked, setting down Angel and looking at the golden she-cat.

"There are Healers as well, as I mentioned earlier. And, if kits find that they don't enjoy life here, they are always free to leave. Same with Guards and Caretakers. If they ever wish to no longer be what they are, they can leave at any time."

"That...that seems very fair..."

"Of course! I have no desires whatsoever to force anyone to stay," Basil turned her beautiful head and smiled smoothly at Rain. "I want every cat I meet to feel the same happiness and satisfaction that I do when I save so many kits and mothers."

Rain remained silent, staring at Basil for a moment before looking back down at the nursery, admiring how happy all of the kits bundling about were.

"Now," Basil stole her attention again. "How about I give this little one to a nursing queen?"

The fur on Rain's neck began to bristle.

"Not permanently," Basil quickly assured her. "You're not that far along, I can tell...you're not producing milk yet, and this little dear looks starved. I'll give her, temporarily mind you, to a nursing queen to care for while you're here."

"I'll get her back...?" Rain mewed cautiously.

"Of course."

"Can I see the queen you give her to?"

Basil nodded and waited for Rain to pick Angel back up before leading her down, into the canyon of the nursery. Rain was careful of where she stepped, not wanting to trip over a passing kit or step on one of their tails. They soon made it to one of the openings in the cave wall, where a very small silver and black she-cat was laying. She looked very young, with paws seriously dwarfed next to Rain's. She glanced up a bit nervously with bright orange eyes.

"Jadeite," Basil mewed softly, smiling. "Will you care for this kit? Yours just left, so I know you're a bit lonesome. And this one needs your milk that is just going to waste." She motioned to the mewling Angel with her tail.

Rain looked at Jadeite curiously as the she-cat flattened her ears some. She met her orange gaze for a split second before the she-cat ripped her eyes away, looking down and giving a small, timid nod.

"...P-Please take care of her," Rain meowed quietly as she set Angel in the nest.

Jadeite just gave a quick nod, not looking at her and helping Angel get to a nipple so she could suckle.

Rain watched as the kitten happily curled up to Jadeite's stomach, purring and kneading as she suckled on the she-cat's nipple. "...W-well...thank you, Jadeite," Rain mewed gently, watching as the she-cat just gave another timid nod.

"Now that that is settled, let's go," Basil purred, draping her tail over Rain's shoulder and leading her away.

"She seems a bit..."

"Nervous?" Basil sighed. "She has always been that way, I assure you. Now come. I want to introduce you to Marcy. She's the she-cat who will be taking care of you during your stay here. She has two young kits, but they shouldn't bother you too much."

"I-I don't mind that there are kits...maybe they'll help me get mentally prepared for my own."

Basil chuckled, smiling as her whiskers twitched in amusement. "Most likely."

Rain was led back to the main spiral of the cave. From there, they went to a lower level that took them to a separate section. The tunnels were dim compared to the ones outside, the rocks on the walls in lesser supply here. Soon enough, they came into a large cavern that was lit by a concave of the stones at the top of the dome-like room. A sparkling pond with a small stream flowing from it sat in the center. A few pregnant she-cats that were drinking from the pond looked up curiously when Rain and Basil entered.

Every eye seemed to burn into Rain's fur as she walked at Basil's side. The ever-constant stares of the queens made her nervous. Her paws itched to flee from the intense eyes and her heart was fluttering in her chest...but she forced herself to stay and keep walking. They soon came to one of the small caves that connected to the wall of the cavern.

Lying inside was a pretty pale brown tabby with small white paws and a white chest. Her eyes were closed but as soon as Rain and Basil entered the den, they opened to reveal a lovely shade of hazel. The cat lifted her head, frowning slightly at the two she-cats before her.

"Marcy," Basil smiled coolly at her. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"Whatever could that be, Basil?" The queen, Marcy, asked in a terse tone.

Basil flicked her tail at Rain. "This is Rain. She's carrying kits and is on a journey to find a nice place to raise them. She's going to be staying here for awhile to get some meat on her bones so she can better care for her unborn kits. I'd like you to take care of her during her time here."

Rain looked at the tabby she-cat, whose ears had flattened slightly at Basil's words. She was confused by the cautious look of mistrust Marcy seemed to be sending in Basil's direction. The moment that fierce gaze snapped onto her, Rain flinched back a bit. In only the next second, Marcy's look of ferocity changed to one of sweet gentility.

"It must be hard," she meowed to Rain, standing and touching her ear gently with her nose. "Of course I'll look after you while you're here. This is probably your first litter."

"Y-yes..."

"Good," Basil yawned and stretched, her muscles rippling beneath her luxurious pelt. "I will come to check on you later, Rain." She turned and strode off, silence following her light pawsteps on the cold stone below.

"...You must be hungry." Rain looked at Marcy as the she-cat picked up a mouse from the corner and nudged it towards her. "Here, eat."

"T...thank you..." Rain hesitantly laid down in the warm den and bit into the mouse, trembling at the delectable taste. She dug happily into it, savoring every bite, glad that her kits were getting more food than they'd ever had in their short lives within her. She glanced up at Marcy as she ate to find the hazel-eyed she-cat staring at her.

"Where are you from?" Marcy asked in her slightly cold, monotone voice.

"...T-the Tribe of Shattered Ice..." she responded quietly.

"What is that?" The she-cat inquired. "I've never heard of a _Tribe_."

"It's...a group of cats that live together, that's all. Like here, but...but none of us were cared for as well as the cats here."

Marcy scoffed but, when Rain looked at her, she cleared her throat and looked away.

"...Basil said you had kits?" Rain mewed quietly after a few moments of silence.

"Yes," Marcy answered after a slight hesitation. She looked at the entrance of the den before calling out. Two tiny kits suddenly came racing in. The fluffier of the two was a pretty golden she-cat with large green eyes. Her sister was a tabby, like her mother, and the same green eyes as her sister.

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" The two she-kits trilled happily, bounding up to their mother and climbing all over her.

"This is Breeze," Marcy told Rain, motioning to the golden she-kit, "And Ami."

Both kits froze, looking at the stranger in their den with wide eyes.

Rain smiled kindly at the two kits, flicking her tail in greeting. "Hello, little ones. My name is Rain...I'm going to be staying with your mommy for a little bit."

"Are you from outside!?" Ami gasped, gawking up at her.

"Outsi-"

"Yes, she's from outside," Marcy answered for her, lying down and curling her tail around her kits. She licked the tops of their heads with a quiet sigh. "Now don't talk about the outside anymore. You know Basil doesn't like it."

"Why doesn't she?" Rain dared to ask, honestly not too surprised at the cold look Marcy gave her. "I-I'm sorry...you just don't hear about cats that don't like to talk about the outside...I-I personally like it outside. The wide open skies, watching the sunsets-"

"We never get to see the outside," Breeze told her. "Only guards, like daddy, are allowed to go outside! Mommies and kits can't, because it's such a dangerous place. That's what Basil said."

Rain glanced at Marcy, who was staring blankly at her paws. "...S-so, your daddy's a guard here?"

"Yup!" Ami grinned in pride, bouncing around a little. "He's the leader of the guards! Daddy's name is Ervan!"

Rain blinked in surprise, her ears twitching. "Ervan?" Looking at Marcy, she was even more surprised when the she-cat nodded. "I...met Ervan. He and a she-cat named Rosemary were the ones who found me."

Marcy scoffed and stood, Breeze tumbling off of her. "Of** course** he'd be with _**her!**_" She hissed before quickly leaving the den, her ears flat against her head, her tail down.

"Daddy and mommy aren't mates anymore," Breeze informed Rain with a heavy sigh, her sister sitting down and pouting. "Basil said that daddy needed to be with someone more competent, so now he's with Lieutenant Rosemary. She's going to have kits soon, I heard."

Rain stared at the kit, a bit surprised. Why would Basil force two cats to split up just because she believed one to be incompetent? She blinked and cleared her throat some. "I-I see...do you still get to see your daddy?"

"We've never met him," Ami admitted. "Mommy won't let him come see us. He tried once and mommy just screamed at him to get away from her. He hasn't tried to come see us since then..."

The blue she-cat frowned a bit, feeling sorry for the two kits. She could tell by the looks on their faces that they really wanted to meet and spend time with their father. She hesitated before smiling reassuringly at them. "I'm sure they'll make up someday and then you can meet him," she told the kits, gently petting their ears with her tail. "He's your father. He can't be out of your lives forever."

"Some kits never see their daddies," Ami squeaked. "Lots of daddies and mommies don't stay together after having kits."

"W-why?"

"That's enough, you two," Marcy reentered the den and nudged her kits. "Go on back to playing."

The kits nodded and bounded off to play.

Marcy then looked at Rain, her eyes narrowed. "It's best not to ask questions while you're here," she growled quietly. "Nor would it be wise to look into anything going on within the orphanage. I suggest you just mind your own business, Rain."

"I-I'm sorry...I was just w-wondering why those kits...never see their fath-"

"Because he's a worthless piece of fox dung who doesn't love me!" Snapped Marcy, her eyes flashing dangerously. "A stranger like you wouldn't understand how that feels!"

Rain stared at her before looking down at her paws. "...I do, actually."

When Marcy spat, she shook her head. "I honestly do. The father of my kits, Shard...he's the leader of my Tribe and the reason I left. He's a cruel, sick, twisted tom who cares for nobody but himself. He lets kits, queens, toms, elders...anyone die. He lets them starve. He was planning on killing my kits to keep from losing me...his favorite out of his endless supply of mates." Rain closed her eyes and sighed. "So I can understand exactly how it feels."

Marcy remained silent after that, staring at Rain and then huffing, looking away.

Rain stood and quietly left the den, going to the crisp, cool pond in the center of the cavern. She bent down once there, taking a refreshing drink. When she looked up, all of the queens and kits in the cavern were staring at her.

She licked her lips, a bit self consciously. "Um...I-I'm Ra-"

They ignored her, turning and quickly returning to their own dens.

She frowned, sitting up some and twitching her tail from side to side. _The cats here aren't very social, if these queens and Marcy are anything to go by..._She sighed and went back to getting her drink before returning to Marcy's den. She saw the she-cat curled up, asleep with her back to her.

Sighing, Rain laid down on the other side of the den, curling into a tight ball. She closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep, her hopes and dreams for her precious kits lulling her into the world of her dreams.

* * *

"Rain."

She awoke with a small flinch of surprise, her green eyes opening and looking around as she lifted her head. Standing before her was a small, but lean and well muscled black and white tom with burning amber eyes. Rain blinked and slowly stood, staring at the tom. "Who are you?" She asked quietly.

He didn't answer her and simply turned. "Follow me," he meowed over his shoulder.

Confused, Rain obediently stood and followed the tom. She wasn't sure of her surroundings or of what surface she was walking on. Her eyes were glued to the tom and refused to leave his slender form. She almost felt like she was trapped in a spell that kept her eyes glued to the tom's silky fur and sleek frame. The spell wasn't broken until he stopped.

Rain blinked and looked around in confusion, still not registering her surroundings.

"Rain," breathed the smooth-voiced tom, turning to her and staring softly at her. "Rain, I'm glad you've come."

"C-...come?" She murmured, a bit dazed and confused.

"To this place. This place needs you, young one," the tom bowed his head slightly. "Many lives will be lost, Rain, but you can save some just by being yourself."

"By being my...self...?"

"Yes."

With that one word, Rain felt compelled to look down. She instantly regretted doing so. She let out a wail of terror at seeing bubbling, hissing lava splashing about beneath her. She tried to scrabble away from the searing heat that was scorching her paws and stomach, but she seemed frozen to the spot.

"You will understand soon, Rain," the tom breathed, stepping forward in mid air and touching his nose to hers. "You have a long journey ahead of you...and many eyes are watching you. Many paws are reaching out to help you and many hearts are coming together to love you. You'll understand everything soon..."

Rain couldn't find her voice as the lava rose, more and more. She screamed in distress when the lava spilled over her paws, searing pain jolting viciously through her body.

She gasped and gagged as the lava flooded, higher and higher, until it covered her head. She was left to writhe helplessly in the red, boiling lake, screaming only to choke in a mouthful of the molten material.

When her eyes snapped open, the lava was gone and she found herself still in Marcy's den. Ami and Breeze were asleep with their mother, the dim green light of the stones on the roof filtering into the den.

Rain trembled and panted, the smell of burning flesh and fur still fresh in her senses.

_You'll understand everything soon..._

"Understand what...?"

* * *

**Whew...took awhile to finish this chapter, mainly because of my own laziness and waiting for my beta. :3 Sorry about that! Please enjoy!**


	5. Imprisonment

Rain quietly stepped out of the den, her ears flicking as Ami and Breeze bolted out past her. She watched the excited, bumbling kits join a few others that were playing near the pond at the center of the cavern. It had been seven long days since she had come to the Orphanage...and she was beginning to grow restless. She had done nothing but lay around, eat and watch the kits in the room play with one another. Marcy hardly spoke to her...it was almost like she was ignoring and shunning her for being from the 'outside', as Breeze put it. She wanted to get back on the road. The Orphanage was a lovely place that seemed like it would be safe for her kits...but, for some reason, it just didn't feel right. She shook her head as she walked to the pond and got a cold drink of water.

_Maybe I just need to go for a walk. This is such a safe, lovely place. My kits would probably be very happy here..._ She hesitated before sitting up, looking over her shoulder to see Marcy coming to the pond as well. "Marcy?" She mewed quietly to the queen. "A-...are we allowed to take walks?"

Marcy lifted her head and looked at her in confusion. "...We can...but why would you want to? There is not much to see other than the red stone of the mountain."

"I just want to stretch my legs further than the pool..." Rain stood, stretching. "So I'm going to go, okay?"

"Fine, just be back by evening meal."

"I will," Rain turned and trotted to the opening of the cavern, traveling through the dark tunnel until she came to the spiral that stretched through the whole mountain. She looked up and down, staring at the cats that walked calmly past her, this way and that. She hesitated before she began going up, looking around and peeking into the many tunnels she passed, not entering any of them until she came to one that smelled of fear. Blinking curiously, the she-cat cautiously entered the dark tunnel, glancing around cautiously as she walked.

She finally saw an opening and broke into a small run to reach it. She stopped, however, when she heard voices.

"And what do you think you were doing, going outside?" Came Basil's voice...but it sounded different. It was harsh, cold and cruel.

Rain hesitated before peeking inside.

Standing in a rather small cave was Basil, her golden fur easily identifiable against the dark gray of the cave. Trembling in front of her was a small, rail-thin gray-blue tom with wide, terrified blue eyes that were staring up at Basil in horror. Behind him was a whole line of Guards, including Ervan's apparent mate, Rosemary.

"I-I..." the tiny tom forced down a swallow. "I-I w...w-was...j-just..."

Basil didn't let him finish. She spat in rage and sliced her claws across the young cat's cheek.

Rain's fur bristled at the cry of pain that came from the young cat.

"You just _**WHAT?**_" Snarled Basil, her tail lashing, her normally soft blue eyes like freezing chips of ice. "You know you are **NOT** allowed to leave the Orphanage, Blu! What makes you think you'd even be wanted anywhere, hm? You're just a pathetic little piece of wolf dung that no one wants! That's why you were abandoned here! And you will stay here forever...do I make myself _CLEAR_?"

"Y-yes, Basil!" The cat cried weakly, closing his eyes tightly.

"Good...you lot. Punish him."

"B-but-!"

Rain tensed in fear when a tail brushed over her mouth. She whipped around to see the golden form of Ervan in the dark. His green eyes were slightly narrowed and with one jerk of his head, he turned and went away from the cave mouth. Rain hesitated to follow him, but hearing a single screech from the cat called Blu made her propel herself after him.

"I don't know what you were thinking, eavesdropping like that," Ervan huffed once they were out of the tunnel, "But don't **ever** do it again, got it? Basil would kill you if she knew you saw her punishing someone. You and your kits."

"W-...w-what was all of that about?" Rain demanded shakily. "T-that kit-"

"Blu. An orphan that was abandoned here by his mother several moons ago. He's constantly trying to leave the Orphanage-"

"B-but Basil said that anyone could leave whenever they wished!" Rain quickly interjected. "She assured me that whenever I feel like it, I can leave with Angel-"

"And you believed her?" Huffed Ervan. He slowly shook his head as he began to walk away from her. "You'd best prepare yourself for a long life here, Rain, because she's not ever going to let you, Angel or your kits leave."

"T-that can't be! She told me-"

"That you could leave, I know. But that doesn't mean you should have believed her."

"W-what do you mean? Why can't I leave? Why can't that Blu kit leave?"

"It's not just you or him. No one can leave."

"_WHY?_"

He paused in his tracks, looking around at her for a moment before shaking his head and turning. "You're better off not knowing."

"I may be better off not knowing, but I want to know!" Rain snapped, surprised by how angry she sounded, but not letting the smoldering feeling in her stomach die down. "I didn't leave the Tribe just to be trapped in this Orphanage! I left the Tribe to find a good home for my kits, where they could grow up around freedom and happiness!"

Ervan hesitated, staring at her. "...They can grow up with that here," he murmured, "It'd just be limited-"

"I don't want limitations on their freedom or their happiness!" Rain pursued him, trotting up to his side and glaring at him faintly. "Don't you want freedom and happiness for Breeze and Moth? O-or Marcy? Or, if you don't care for them anymore, t-then Rosemary and her kits?"

The tom stood still and silent, staring into the distance for a moment before he sighed. "...Come with me," he said quietly, walking higher up the stone spiral.

Rain was uncertain but, at a welcoming flick of the tom's tail, she nodded and hurried after him. He led her higher and higher up the spiral, past many rooms and many strange cats that gave her confused looks as she passed. She ignored them, though, her eyes locked on the back of Ervan's large head. She soon began to see light speckling the stone they walked on. More and more light began to fill the space around her, shedding the stone of its dark cover. Before she knew it, she and Ervan emerged into the sky.

She was confused until she realized they were at the top of the mountain. A large rim surrounded it that gave the guards of the Orphanage plenty of room to walk and patrol the roof. Many guards sat on the very edges of the mountain, staring off into the distance. Ervan led Rain to a curve of stone that had no guards stationed at it. He sat down, Rain hesitating before sitting quietly beside him.

Lifting her head, she was taken away by the beautiful view being at the top of the mountain blessed her with. She could see everything. The endless, gray mountains that she had grown up around stretched farther than she would have ever imagined. They were bathed in the soft mid-day light that managed to peek through the thick clouds that coated the sky. In the very, very farthest distance, she faintly saw a tinge of green, but was unsure what it was. To her right ran a long, winding river. She wondered silently if that was where Zero lived. It didn't seem too far.

"...I do care for Marcy and our kits," Ervan suddenly whispered, making Rain look at him.

She blinked slowly. "W-what?"

"I love Marcy," he said, leaning his head back some. "I've never loved another cat like I love her. I want to spend every day with her and our kits."

Blinking in confusion, Rain tilted her head. "I-If you love Marcy and the kits, then why are you mates with Rosemary now?"

He hesitated and sighed. "...I didn't want to be."

"...T-then why?"

"Basil," Ervan huffed. "...She has this law that no two cats are allowed to stay mates for very long. Once a tom has kits with a she-cat, he is to leave her, get with another she-cat and have more kits. That cycle repeats until the tom dies."

Rain stared at him in disbelief. "W...what? W-what kind of law is **that**? That's not fair to anyone! What does that accomplish?"

"More kits," he told her, turning his dark blue eyes onto the she-cat beside him. "The more toms there are to mate with more and more she-cats, the more kits that are born to the Orphanage."

"But...it's an Orphanage. Shouldn't the leader of such a place want less kits to be born so the other kits can find families?"

"The title of Orphanage is just a cover up," Ervan spat, malice entering his voice that made the hair on Rain's neck stand on end. "It's anything but an Orphanage. No kit here is ever going to find a home. No she-cat or tom is ever going to leave. That's just the way it is."

"Why?" Rain insisted, fear growing in her belly at these secrets she was learning about this place she had thought was so wonderful.

Ervan's face pulled an odd look, his whiskers quivering slightly as he looked down at his paws. "Be...cause..."

"Because **what**?" Rain pressed.

"...I-I'm sorry," Ervan suddenly shook his head, standing and backing away from the edge a bit. "I'm sorry, Rain. I can't tell you."

"Why can't you tell me?" Rain stood as well, looking at him. "I think I deserve to know! All I want is to find a good home for my kits to grow up in!" Her voice grew snappy the more upset she became, her legs quivering and her eyes stinging against the high altitude wind. "If something strange is happening here, I should know about it so I can escape if I need t-"

"You can't escape!" Ervan snapped, looking at her with narrowed eyes. "No one can escape and no one ever will, especially not a cat like you! Rain, you're just a single she-cat who's pregnant and has been denied the knowledge of the mountain's secrets. You'll never escape, so don't be stupid! Just live here and-"

"It's that rogue!"

Rain looked up in surprise as Ervan suddenly fell silent and turned to look at the guards on the other side of the mountain, who were all clearly on high alert. Ervan bounded over to them, Rain taking a shaky breath before following him. She stopped beside the golden tom and peered over the edge only to gasp in shock.

"_**ZERO!**_" She cried, recognizing the dark ginger fur marred by an endless number of scars.

The eyes of the guards all flew to her and Rain felt a cold chill run down her spine at the looks she was given. She was worried for a moment that they were going to attack her. Their eyes were only pulled from her when the smell of Basil washed over all of them. Rain looked up in time to see Basil leaping out of the hole that led to the inside of the mountain, her icy blue eyes narrowed with rage.

"He's back?" She snarled, pushing Rain out of the way and looking over the edge of the mountain. She growled at spotting the figure so close to entering her territory. "Guards!" She screeched, her face the definition of malice. "Guards, get down there and kill that nosy piece of-!"

"W-wait!" Rain ran to Basil's side, staring at her pleadingly. "P-please don't hurt him! T-that's Zero! He-"

She was silenced by Basil whipping around with a furious screech. Before she knew it, Rain was on the stone below her paws, precariously close to the edge of the mountain. She felt blood dripping into her eyes from a large cut now above her eye.

Ervan raced over and grabbed her scruff, hauling her away from the mountain edge.

"You know that disgusting rogue?" Basil hissed to Rain as she struggled to her feet. Her blue eyes looked like cold fire as she glared at the younger she-cat. "That piece of wolf-dung has tried to break into my Orphanage multiple times! He has tried to steal kits and kill Queens!"

"Z-Zero wouldn't do that!" Rain quickly objected, her ears flat against her skull, her entire body trembling. "H-he helped me! He helped me and Angel-"

"_**So you're in league with him?**_" Basil screamed, Rain quickly flattening herself to the ground, her green eyes round with terror. "Is that why you came into my territory?" Basil snarled, her fur bristling, her face the definition of rage, "To help that damned rogue steal my kits and kill my Queens?"

"N...n-no!" Rain shook her head, terrified. "No, no, no! I-I w-wanted t-...to find a place f-for my kits-"

"_**SILENCE!**_" Basil roared, Rain instantly stiffening and falling silent.

"I can easily see through your petty lies!" Basil spat, extending her claws and growling at Rain, who felt the terrifying sound coarse through her body like a bolt of electricity. "You're in league with that rogue...you didn't come here for your kits! You used that and that kit, Angel, as an excuse to get into my precious Orphanage and steal everything I have worked so hard for!"

"No!" Rain cried, standing and facing the furious she-cat. "Basil, I would NEVER do something like that! I-"

"Enough! Ervan!" The tom frowned as Basil turned her piercing gaze to him. "Throw this disgusting excuse for a cat in the containment chamber!"

"No! No, Basil, please listen! I-"

"Do not speak to me, you piece of _**SLIME!**_" Screamed Basil, rounding on Rain, her eyes glowing with furious blue fire. "You will be locked in that chamber for all eternity...you will **_ROT IN THERE LIKE YOU DESERVE!_**"

"_**NO!**_" Rain snarled, her fur bristling, her eyes narrowing as Ervan and even Basil stared at her in surprise. "You're not locking me up **ANYWHERE!** I'm leaving! I'm taking Angel and leav-"

A dark red figure burst out of the mountain below and slammed into Rain, scrambling with the blue she-cat for a moment before pinning her roughly to the ground by her shoulders.

"Rosemary!" Ervan quickly rushed over to his mate. "Rosemary, stop! Let her go!"

"Ervan!" Hissed Basil, making him freeze. "What are you doing? Do you want me to go back on the promise I made to you?"

Rain glanced over at the tom to see a look of terror cross his eyes. He hesitated before lowering his head and backing away. Hopelessness filled Rain's heart as Rosemary grabbed her scruff and roughly yanked her to her paws. "Take her to the containment chamber," Basil told Rosemary calmly. The red she-cat nodded and began to drag off Rain, who fought against her, but was pathetic in comparison to the large, muscular queen.

"R-Rosemary, please..." Rain begged as she was dragged down the twisting stones of the mountain. "P-please, let me go! I-I just want to find a good home for my kits!"

Not to her surprise, she was ignored.

Rosemary continued to drag her down the spiral until they arrived to an out of the way cave that was pitch black and covered in dust and cobwebs. Rain winced as she was pulled into the unlit cavern. She could faintly see several openings within the caves, round stones beside each of them. She gave a small cry of pain as Rosemary tossed her inside.

Rain sat up, looking at the entrance. Her eyes widened when she saw Rosemary rolling the round stone to the front of the entrance. "R-Rosemary, NO!" Rain cried, leaping to her paws. "Rosemary, PLEASE! I-" But she was cut off when the stone clicked into place, leaving her trapped in complete and utter darkness.

* * *

Ervan quietly trekked along his normal patrol route at the side of the mountain, his dark blue eyes narrowed against the light of the setting sun. _That stupid she-cat..._ He thought, grimacing. _Standing up to Basil like that and mentioning she knows that rogue...now she and those poor unborn kits are going to die..._ He turned a corner and stopped, staring down at his paws sadly. _I wish I could have told her...no...no, I wish she would have just never asked! If Basil finds out what I **did** tell her, she'll..._

He shivered, shaking his head. _No...don't think about that. They'll be safe. They'll be...perfectly safe. Maybe it's better that Rain dies...i-if she dies, what I said to her will die with her. Then Basil will never know. Then she won't hurt them._

The tom sighed and sat down, looking up at the dark violet sky as it slowly began to awaken with starlight. "Rain...I hope you can forgive me," he breathed. "I'd help you... I'd help you escape this place without a second thought...if it wasn't for-"

He was cut off before he could get another word out.

A large, muscular body slammed into him, knocking him onto the hard red stone beneath him. He opened his mouth to let out a yowl of terror, but a large paw covered it before he could, claws digging into his jaws as a furious growl rumbled above him.

"You know Rain?" A deep voice hissed through the dark. "Are you a part of this orphanage?"

Ervan stared up with terror at the obscured figure above him for a moment before forcing out a quick nod.

"What did you do with her?" Snarled the deep voice that sent chills up Ervan's spine. "I heard her...I heard her on top of your stupid mountain! What did you do with her and the kit she was with? Angel!"

_This tom knows Rain and that kit?_ Ervan narrowed his eyes a little, struggling beneath the massive body holding him down.

"I'm going to lift up my paw," the tom growled quietly. "When I do, you tell me where she is or else I'll kill you. Got it?"

Ervan gave a small nod and the tom cautiously lifted his paw. The moment be did, Ervan propelled himself up, knocking into the much larger body and tossing him off of his own. He heard a furious hiss from the other tom and relied on the sound of his heavy paws slamming onto the stone. He managed to leap to the side just in time, skirting behind the tom...only for said cat to suddenly transfer all of his weight to his front paws and kick out with his back.

Ervan grunted in pain as he was thrown backwards and slammed into the wall of the mountain. He managed to leap aside just in time to avoid another attack, but he knew he couldn't win this on just dodging. This tom was strong and clearly knew how to use his energy without wearing himself out.

"Why do you want Rain?" Spat Ervan, his tail lashing as he heard the tom preparing to attack again.

"I know what kind of sick things go on at this place," the strange cat growled. "I don't want Rain, her kits or Angel involved in any of it!"

Ervan tensed and hissed. "Who are you to know what happens here?"

He flinched back a little when the tom padded forward, slowly growing closer until he eventually stepped into the dim light cast down on them by the moon. Ervan's eyes widened and he was instantly back on his guard, his fur bristling, his teeth bared as he was faced with the scar covered rogue that had been plaguing Basil and the Orphanage for ages now. "Where is Rain?" The rogue growled, his golden eyes narrowing threateningly.

"Leave this place!" Ervan snarled, his tail lashing furiously from side to side.

"Where is Rain?" The rogue repeated, advancing on him. "Tell me. I didn't even fathom that when she left my cave, she'd end up with you freaks!...I won't let you do to her what you do to the other she-cat's-"

"What do you know?" Ervan spat furiously. "You have no idea why we-"

"I don't care why you do it! But you are NOT doing it to Rain!" Screeched the tom. "I'm getting her out of here! Letting her go off on her own was a big mistake! She's trying to find a good home for her kits and this is NOT where she'll find such a thing!"

"_**YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?**_" Cried Ervan, trembling as he stared the tom down. "The she-cat I love is...what happens to the others is going to happen to her, too! You don't think I know this is the worst possible place to raise a family?"

"Then tell me where Rain is!"

"No! As much as I want Rain out of here, I can't! I can't betray Basil, for the sake of my kits!"

"Then I'll just get rid of you and find her myself," growled the scarred tom, lowering his head and slowly approaching Ervan, his eyes narrowed. "I'll rip your throat open and leave you to the wolves! I'll flay all of your little friends, too! Then I'll get Rain and help her find a place where she can REALLY be happy and give her kits a good life!"

Ervan flattened his ears, backing away slowly. "W-wait...I-I-"

"What, scared of dying?" Growled the tom, getting ever close to him. "Scared of having your guts devoured by the wolves?"

"N-...n-no! I-I..."

"Then hold STILL!" The tom lunged at him and in that split second, Ervan sprung out of his way, his fur fluffed up in terror, his ears flat against his skull. He heard the large tom racing after him as he ran, trying to race to the top of the mountain, where there would be back up. As he ran, however...a thought came to him. This cast, as terrifying as he was...was here to save Rain. He knew what Basil was doing and was here to save Rain before it happened to her. _Maybe...maybe he...can save her too...!?_ He thought and, with that, skidded to a halt.

The scarred tom gave a yowl of shock as he slammed right into Ervan, knocking them both over.

"What in the Stars name is your problem!?" The tom demanded, sitting up and glaring at him. "One minute you run like a coward, the next you-"

"If I help you save Rain-" Ervan turned to him, his blue eyes wide and desperate, "Will you save someone for me as well?"

He blinked, looking confused. "W-what?"

"My...previous mate and my kits," Ervan said shakily, "T-they're in trouble...especially her. M-my previous mate, that is...if I help you save Rain, will you help her and my kits, too?"

The tom stared at him for a moment, frowning. "Why should I?"

"Please, I'm begging you! I'll help you get Rain out if you just-"

"Fine," huffed the tom, looking away. "...I can't refuse to help kits that are in danger," he mumbled. "...But I'll only do it if you help me get Rain...and Angel, out of here."

"I promise," Ervan said, nodding. "I'll help you."

* * *

**Phew, finally! Sorry for the delay! I started at Indiana Connections Academy this year...started a few days behind schedule, so I had a lot of make up work...still do...*cry* And my beta was supposed to beta this chapter, but she never did...But, here's a nice update for you! Lots of happy happy drama~! Or...n-not so happy...really...View "Dreams of Rain" art at my deviantart, Lightpaw45! See you next chapter!**


	6. Eruption

A strong ache passed through Rain's body as she leaned against the stone that kept her trapped in the darkness. She didn't know for how long she had been stuck in this cave, but it was definitely long enough to leave her weak with hunger and thirst. Her mouth felt like a desert and her body was in constant agony as it sought nutrients that were unavailable, both for her body and for her kits. She was terrified that the lives inside of her body had already been lost...but that didn't deter her from trying to escape. If there was ANY chance her kits were still alive, even the smallest, she wanted to take advantage of that chance and get out of here.

She spent the entirety of her time in the tiny cave searching for a way out. She ran her nose along the ground, her mouth open, trying to find some kind of crack or opening that was letting in fresh air. The only ones she could find were far too small and her claws were definitely not strong enough to dig and make them any bigger. She let out a frustrated growl as she placed her paws on the wall of the cave and stood up on her hind legs, searching the ceiling this time. It was around her fifth time doing so, but she held out the hope that maybe she had missed something.

The desperate mother searched all along the top of the cave, claws scraping against the walls as she kept herself up against it. She sighed and dropped back down onto all four paws, frowning at the darkness all around her. She sat down, bowing her head and wrapping her tail around her paws as powerfully depressing guilt and sadness washed over her. "I never should have left..." she breathed shakily. "M-maybe Shard...would have changed his mind...ma-maybe he would have let my kits be born...they could have lived...b-but now...now I've doomed them...!"

She laid down with a small mournful cry, covering her eyes with her paws and curling up on the cold, unforgiving ground. "I'm so sorry..." she breathed shakily as her tail brushed her stomach. "My kits...I'm sorry...! Now you have to suffer..." She curled into an even tighter ball, shaking as she held back the urge to throw her head back and yowl out her sadness.

For a long time she just laid there, reveling in her misery. That is, until she heard faint, muffled sounds from outside of her cave. She hesitated before lifting her head, looking at the stone that kept her trapped in here. After a moment she stood slowly and went to the stone, leaning her head against it, ears perked and pressing slightly against the surface. She could hear voices. She couldn't identify them and she could only pick out bits and pieces, but she heard them all the same.

"...-sil...tonight...one named Rain."

"Her? She'll...and even then, we...with that kit, Blu."

"We will...so both."

"Both...once?"

"Yes."

Rain flicked her tail, frowning some as she craned her ears even more, trying to hear more of the jumbled up conversation.

"-kit, Angel?"

"-sed and then, added to...sacrifice...same as Rain and Blu."

The she-cat jerked her head back, her eyes wide, the fur on the back of her neck bristling. _Sacrifice? W-what do they mean, sacrifice?_ More panicked than she had been this whole time, Rain scrabbled at the stone, panic and terror beginning to ebb away her logic. "Let me out!" She yowled, claws frantically scraping on the stone. "Let me out, please! Please, let me **out**!"

Her calls were met with silence and she spat in frustration, circling around the cave before going right back to the entrance, raking her claws along it and yowling as loudly as she could once more. She repeated this cycle for hours, hollering at the stone, pacing, then hollering once more. She was exhausting herself, but she refused to stop.

"_**LET ME OUT!**_" She shrieked, continuing her panicked cycle a whole day after she had first started. She pushed as hard as she could against the stone, ignoring the blood coming her shredded and cracked claws. "**_SOMEONE! LET! ME-!_**"

She gave a cry of surprise when the stone suddenly shifted and rolled to the side, making her fall forward. She leaned to the side and rolled over so she landed on her back, sheltering her stomach. She laid there for a moment, stunned, before blinking and leaning her head back. She was shocked to see the large, brawny dark red she-cat, Rosemary, standing over her.

Rain stared at her, green eyes round. "...R-Rose..."

The red she-cat stepped back, waiting and watching as Rain rolled over and pushed herself onto her feet. Rain shook herself off some and looked uncertainly at the so-far aggressive she-cat. A long silence stretched between them before Rain swallowed. "W...w-what are you doing here?" Rain asked hesitantly.

Rosemary flicked her ears, hesitating before glancing over her shoulder some.

Rain followed her eyes and blinked in surprise when the lithe golden body of Ervan stalked into the caves. "Ervan..."

"Rain," he greeted through the fur of a rabbit he held in his jaws. He came forward and dropped the rabbit in front of her.

She gave him one quick, uncertain look before she dug right into the rabbit, too hungry to question why he was giving it to her. She scarfed down the whole rabbit, feeling a bit sick from eating so quickly, but wanting to give her starving kits all the nutrients they could want. When she finished the rabbit she sat there quietly, licking her lips for a moment before she sat up some and looked at Ervan and Rosemary. "What's going on...?" She now asked, glancing between them both.

"I'm getting you out of here," Ervan told her outright.

The queen stared at him, silent. She eventually blinked and quickly shook her head before looking back at him. "I-I'm sorry...what?"

"I'm going to help you escape," he murmured, staring at her. "I...I ran into that rogue. He came to the side of the mountain, trying to find a way in to rescue you. And I told him I would help him get you and that kit, Angel, our of here...if he also helps get Marcy and my kits out."

Rain fell silent, staring at him.

He gave a flick of his ears as he stood. "Anyway, Rosemary is going to help as well."

She blinked and nodded. His words began to settle in and hope began to fill her. Here was a small, slim opening for her to escape this place and continue her search for a safe, happy home for her kittens. "What's the plan?" She asked quietly, curling her tail around her paws as she looked at the two cats.

"Tomorrow evening, Basil is going to be having a...a ceremony of the sorts. Most of the mountain will be unguarded, since almost all of the guards will be with her during this time. During this time, your rogue friend will come in from the front of the mountain and distract the guards that remain at their posts. Rosemary will come and get you and hide you in a small concave on the lowest level. You'll wait there while I get Marcy, my kits and angel. Then you'll all flee with the rogue. If we have the chance, Rosemary and I will escape as well."

"That...t-that actually sounds like a good plan," Rain meowed, looking at him in surprise. "Tomorrow evening, you said?"

"Yes, so get plenty of rest so you're ready to run for your life."

"For my kits lives," she corrected him quietly. "I wouldn't care if I died...all I want is their safety."

He shrugged and stood. "I need to go. Basil will be making her rounds soon and I don't want her to see me away from my post. Rosemary, you should head back as well." He glanced at Rain, "...If...I don't make it out, Rain...make sure Marcy and my kits are safe..." he hurried off without another word, leaving Rain with Rosemary.

She glanced at the red cat, who stared at her silently for a moment before jerking her head towards the cave.

Rain flattened her ears but made no protests. She turned and went back into the cave, watching as Rosemary rolled the stone in front of the entrance, trapping her once more. She didn't feel the terror, concern or desperation she had felt since she was first imprisoned, though. Now, she felt hopeful, excited and apprehensive. She was getting out. She would be able to keep her kits alive and find them a safe home where they could live their lives happily. She laid down to rest as Ervan had advised, praying the whole time that everything would go as planned.

* * *

When she next woke, it was to stone scraping against stone. She lifted her head and stared as the stone rolled out of place and Rosemary's broad frame came into view. "Is it time?" Rain asked softly, standing.

Rosemary answered with silence, turning her head and stalking towards the entrance of the cavern. Rain hurried after her, her tail quivering with excitement as she followed her onto the coil that stretched all through the mountain. She perked her ears, surprised by the silence and the lack of cats moving about. "Ervan's plan is working, then?" She asked, unable to hide the excitement in her voice.

As expected, she was met with silence from Rosemary once more. She swallowed the need to yowl in excitement as Rosemary began to hurry down the coil. Rain padded after her, her senses on high alert. Her ears swiveled in the direction of every tiny sound, her tail flicking back and fourth apprehensively the entire time.

They soon reached the base level of the mountain. Rain wanted to stop to look for the guards Zero was supposed to be distracting, but since Rosemary kept moving, she did so as well. The she-cat led her to a small area that looked like nothing but several large rocks that had collapsed onto one another, but if one looked close enough, they could see a small opening amongst the rocks. Rosemary slipped into it, Rain wriggling inside after her. It was a tiny, cramped little cave amongst the rocks, but it was definitely a good hiding spot. "W-we just wait here for Ervan now, right?" Rain mewed softly. "He'll come with Marcy and the kits...r-right?"

Rosemary stared intently out of their hiding spot, her ears sitting high atop her head, her whole body still.

Rain sighed and shifted some, er paws tingling nervously as the suffocating silence persisted. It was making her uncomfortable and even more nervous than she needed to be. She eventually tried to break the silence by clearing her throat some.

"...R-Rosemary," she began softly. "W...w-why are you helping? I-I mean...you seem...very loyal to Basil. Why are you..." she flinched and closed her mouth when the dark green-eyed cat looked at her.

Her stare was piercing and made Rain's stomach churn uncomfortably. "...I-I'm sorry if I-"

"I love him," the red she-cat spoke for the first time, making Rain blink in surprise. She looked away after saying those three words, going back to staring out of the cave entrance.

_...I get it now._ Rain thought as she looked at her. _Ervan doesn't love her...he still loves Marcy. She knows that, but she still loves him so much that she would go against Basil to make him happy..._

She looked around, not saying anything, letting Rosemary keep watch to her hearts content.

It felt like they were hiding between those rocks for ages...and when they finally heard something, it wasn't a positive sound. Heavy panting came their way, paws rapidly pounding against the stone underfoot. The next thing Rain knew, Ervan had poked his head into the cave. "Get out here," he panted.

Rosemary hurried out of the cave, Rain following her and looking at Ervan, whose sides were heaving as he struggled for breath. "What happened?" Rosemary asked him softly, pressing herself against him.

"B-Basil..." he panted, looking at Rain. "S-she...She took...M-Marcy...a-and my kits...and-and Angel...to the Ceremony...!"

Rain stared at him for a moment before quickly looking around. "Where's this Ceremony?"

Ervan blinked, looking at her. "W...wh-what?"

"Where is it?" Rain repeated, lashing her tail some as she looked at him. "I don't know what this 'Ceremony' is all about, but it sounds like a bad thing...we need to get Marcy and the kits out of here."

"...B-but it's dangerous. Your kits-"

"Ervan," Rain looked at him and gave a small smile. "If you can't tell by now...I'll do anything for my kits. They'll be safe."

He looked at her and took in a deep breath before nodding, stepping forward and touching his nose to her shoulder gently. "Thank you..." he breathed, his voice quivering slightly.

She nodded. "Now, where's this Ceremony? And where's Zero?"

"Your rogue friend is still keeping the guards held off near the entrance, which is good...come on," Ervan flicked his tail before taking off, Rain and Rosemary running after him. They stayed on the floor of the mountain as he slipped around several stalagmites, not breaking his run or slowing his speed until they came to a large, yawning gap in the ground. A pathway like the one that stretched all throughout the mountain ventured downwards into the darkness of the opening.

"The mountain goes deeper?" Rain panted, staring into it.

He nodded. "It's down here where she holds the ceremonies. Let's go..." He began to walk carefully down the slope, Rain stayed close to his and Rosemary's sides as they padded into the darkness. The light from the upper levels grew darker and darker the further they walked. Rain had to keep herself at the utmost attention to make sure she didn't slip and slide down the steep slope.

"...S-so, what is it with this 'ceremony'?" She asked quietly as they walked. "What's the point? Why does Basil do them?"

Ervan was silent for a moment before he sighed. "After all of this...you deserve to know. You see, Basil...she believes in some strange, ancient Deity."

"Deity?"

"Yeah...she found, in the lower caverns of the mountain, ancient cave records from the cats that lived here long, long ago. They told stories about a deity known as Nyx that watched over them and granted their leaders eternal life."

"Eternal life? That's ridiculous!"

"I know. But she and her mate, Claric, believed the stories they found within this mountain. And so they developed the orphanage, where they could gather all of the supplies they needed to pay homage to Nyx and gain eternal life..."

"Supplies?" Rain spoke up in surprise. "I-If they needed supplies, then why make it an orphanage? Why welcome in queens and ki...k..." her eyes widened and she let out a gasp of horror as it dawned on her.

"Sounds like you figure it out on your own," Ervan murmured sadly. "...Apparently, the records say that the only way for the leaders to gain eternal life from this Nyx...was...was for them to sacrifice kits and queens, feeding Nyx more and more until she was willing to give them immortality."

"S-so Basil...has been..."

"Sacrificing kits and queens, the whole time she's been here," Ervan finished for her, a quiet growl coming from deep within him. "That is why no two cats here remain mates for long. She wants us to keep breeding, more and more and more, so she has an unlimited supply of kits to kill until she gains her immortality...she's...she's so desperate for it that she even sacrificed her own mate, near the beginning, before she had read the records properly."

"T-then...Marcy...her kits, angel, my kits, Rosemary's kits-"

"Are all to be used as sacrifices..."

Rain felt like all of the wind had been knocked out of her. All of the information came crashing together in a violent wave called reality that swept over the young queen and left her feeling suffocated. That was why Basil had welcomed her so readily into her midst. She was pregnant. She was carrying fresh sacrifices within her. "This is...this horrible!" Rain finally managed to cry, her voice tight and constricted. "We have to hurry!" She tried to run only to have Rosemary grab her scruff.

"Don't be hasty," Ervan hissed quietly. "You'll loose your footing and fall to your death if you move too quickly. Just calm down...there's a lot that needs to be done before the sacrifices begin. Basil has to do a very long-winded speech before the ceremony can begin..."

Rain didn't take off running but still let out an anxious, horrified whine.

"Your rogue friend," Ervan said, clearly trying to distract her with his voice. "For the longest time, he's been coming to this mountain and causing trouble, trying to crumble Basil's control and save all of the cats within here."

She just gave a small nod, too panicked and concerned to really think of a verbal response. A quiet sigh came from Ervan and they continued forward in complete silence. When they finally saw light, it felt like they had been walking in the darkness for ages. A strange, orange glow began emanate from the end of the passageway. Since the ground was less sloped, Rain picked up her pace until she was running, Ervan and Rosemary running on her heels. She had to skid to a stop at the end of the tunnel, however, to shocked by what she saw to keep running. Below them sat a huge basin with a layer of elevated stone that wrapped around it. It was upon that stone that Basil stood, along with a horrified Marcy, Ami, Breeze, Angel and the scrawny young cat, Blu. But that wasn't what made Rain's heart drop in horror.

In the center of the basil, like soup in a giant bowl, was rumbling, bubbling molten lava. It gave the entire chamber an eerie reddish-orange glow and left a frightening, growling reverberation echoing all throughout it. "This..." Rain looked at Ervan in shock. "This isn't a mountain...i-it's...a volcano...?"

"It hasn't erupted in ages," he said with a small shrug of his shoulders. "But this is where the sacrifices take place..." he frowned as he looked at Basil. "And it looks like they're going to start soon. Alright, we need to devise a plan to get around all of the guards and get the- _**RAIN, WAIT!**_"

She ignored him, taking off like a spooked hare. She raced down the sloping spiral that led down to the outcrop of stone Basil stood on. She saw the golden she-cat walking towards Angel and ignored all logic and sense. Her instinct as a mother had kicked it for a kit that wasn't even hers. Logic meant nothing now. She let out a vicious screech as she separated the remaining distance between her and Basil with a powerful bound.

Basil barely had time to register what was going on before Rain slammed into her, knocking her straight off of her paws. They rolled around on the warm stone, both she-cats screaming as they claws and bit at one another. Blood roared in Rain's ears as she grabbed any fur and flesh she could with both her teeth and claws. She kicked her hind claws furiously, hoping they would rake open the golden cat's stomach as they tussled on the ground.

She gave a yowl of surprise when, instead, Basil's hind paws caught her stomach and kicked hard, throwing her off of her. Rain slammed into the ground, rolling a small distance before falling still, panting and shaking, her adrenaline making her head spin.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Basil spat, the definition of rage as she sat up, her blue eyes appearing red in the crimson-tinged cavern. She glared down at Rain, growing even more furious when she realized who she was. "You! How did you get out?" She demanded furiously.

Rain answered with a vicious snarl, trying to get up and attack her only to be pinned by a guard.

"Basil!"

She saw two guards coming forward, both dragging Ervan and Rosemary along by their scruffs.

"Ervan...?" Marcy breathed, stepping forward some, eyes wide.

"Rosemary, Ervan!" Basil spat. "What is the meaning of this?"

"You promised me, Basil!" Ervan cried, fighting desperately against the guard holding him. "You promised me you would never touch Marcy or my kits! You **promised**! You said they could live safe and happy! You promised you'd never kill them!"

"Plans change," she growled, lashing her tail. "It seems they've changed even more now. To think that you, of all cats, would betray me, Ervan...how can you do this? Turning your back on your own _mother_?"

Rain paused in her struggled, looking between the two cats in shock.

"You stopped being my mother the moment you killed father!" Ervan growled. "I've stuck around because of his wishes, but no more! I am NOT going to let you kill the she-cat I love and my kits!"

"Well, you don't have much of a choice! Because the ceremony is beginning right now..." she chuckled, "I was going to wait to sacrifice you..." she added, looking at Rain, "But I guess I can go ahead and add you to the offering. The lives inside of you should count as well, so I kill multiple birds with one stone~"

"Basil!" Snarled Ervan, fighting even more desperately.

She ignored him and diverted her original path from Angel, going instead to Marcy and Ervan's small golden colored kit, Breeze. She picked her up roughly by the scruff, earning a screech from Marcy. "_**LET HER GO! LET HER GO, YOU MONSTER!**_"

Basil chuckled against the kit's fur and walked confidently to the edge of the stone ledge, about to lean over the lava to drop the kit in. The moment she slightly moved her head towards the drop, she was suddenly knocked back off of her paws by a powerful, dark orange body. Rain could only manage a weak cry of relief as she recognized the strong body of Zero. The scarred rogue grabbed Breeze securely in his jaws and bounded off of Basil, whom he had left stunned on the ground.

Zero bolted towards the guards holding back Marcy and rammed into them with all of his force, freeing the tabby queen. She took Breeze from him and scooped up Ami, quickly moving out of the way with both of her kits, the terrified Angel and Blu bounding after her. The moment he was free of the kits Zero snarled viciously and lunged at the guard holding Rain down, who let out a terrified shriek before releasing her and fleeing. He then attacked the two holding onto Ervan and Rosemary, freeing them as well.

"Zero!" Rain cried, leaping to her paws and running over to the tom, pressing her muzzle against his. "I've been happier to see a cat in my whole life...!"

He nuzzled her gently. "I'm glad you're alright, Rain...I should have warned you about this place before I let you leave."

"Don't beat yourself up over it," she mewed softly. "You-" Her words were cut off by a scream of fury from Basil. The she-cat bolted towards them, shoving past her guards and knocking two into the lava before leaping at Rain and knocking her over, clawing curiously at her face and stomach.

A rush of adrenaline later and Rain let out her own scream of fury, biting down hard on Basil's neck as they flayed at each others fur. She felt the disgusting taste of blood in her mouth as she bit down even harder, earning her an agonized cry from Basil. A powerful cuff over the back of her head that left her stunned was the consequence of drawing blood on the golden leader. She cried out as Basil dug her claws into her gut, growling. "You won't take everything away from me!" She snarled. "I won't let you! I've worked far too hard to let a little rat like YOU destroy everything!"

"Y-you've-nng-! You've...destroyed e-everything...NOT ME!" Rain hissed. "T-taking advantage of the trust queens and innocent kits give you...a-and killing them!"

"As if they matter! They're just worthless little worms that wriggle in the dirt!" Basil screamed. "What matters in this world is **ME!** _**ME!**_ Soon, I will be the eternal RULER of this pathetic world! I will be immortal! I will live on and take control over _**EVERY CAT IN THE WORLD! I WILL BE THE NEW GOD! I WILL RULE SUPREME!**_" She let out a maniacal laugh that danced menacingly around the cave. Fierce bubbles from the lava leaped up, growling and spluttering a small shiver passing through the mountain.

"And I will start by getting rid of you..." Basil hissed, glaring at Rain. "I wonder...if you will be the final sacrifice~?"

Rain growled and tried to kick the she-cat off only to have Basil's teeth sink powerfully into her neck, earning a pained yowl from the weakening blue-gray cat. She felt the strength that had so powerfully ran through her waning as Basil stood and began to drag her towards the edge of the stone. She could faintly see Zero fighting the remaining guards, trying to get to her, yowling her name. She trembled as an eerily calm cold began to overtake her body. _My kits...I'm so, so sorry..._She thought as her eyes began to slide shut.

"_**RAIN!**_"

Her green eyes snapped open in time to see Ervan flying over her, his eyes narrowed, his teeth clenched together and his paws outstretched, claws extended and aimed directly at Basil's neck. Time seemed to slow as she watched him soar over her, his golden coat glimmering in the light of the lava boiling below them. She felt Basil's jaws release her and heard a drawn out cry of terror coming from the mad cat. Time slowly resumed its normal pace as Ervan rammed into basil with all of his might, his claws tearing into her neck, sending blood showering over the lava.

As time completely caught up with itself, a gurgled scream ripped from Basil's lips as she and Ervan tumbled over the edge of the outcropping. Rain was shoved out of the way by Marcy, who bolted to the ledge and reached out, managing to snag her claws into Ervan's paw. Rain quickly stood and looked over the edge, eyes widening when she saw Basil clinging to Ervan's back legs.

"Ervan!" Marcy cried, trying to pull him back up. "E-Ervan, hang on!"

"Marcy..." the tom breathed lovingly, "Marcy, let me go."

"NO! No, I-I can help you!"

"Marcy, if you pull me up, you'll pull Basil up as well...let me go."

"NO! I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU GO!" The cat screamed, tears streaming down her face as she stared desperately at him.

"You have to..." he gave her a tired smile. "It's alright...everything will be okay. You and our kits will live on and be happy. I know you'll do what's best for them...and Rain will help you," he added, glancing at Rain. She stared at him for a moment before giving a small nod, blinking quickly to fight back her own tears.

Ervan smiled and looked back at Marcy. "I've done what I needed to do, Marcy...I saved you and our daughters...I love you..." He reached up with his other paws and scratched at hers, making the tabby she-cat cry out in pain...and release him.

"_**NO!**_" She shrieked the moment she had realized what she'd done. "**_ERVAN, NOOOO!_**"

Rain could only watch as Ervan and Basil tumbled together into the basin. She wanted to pull her eyes away, but felt she couldn't. Basil screamed the entire time, but Ervan just closed his eyes and smiled, looking content. Rain managed to look away just as the lava devoured the two cats, a heart-broken wail breaking out of Marcy as she watched her love vanish into the volcanic fluid. The cave fell silent except for Marcy's cries, all of the guards staring in shock at the lava below. Rosemary bowed her head, Zero going over to Rain's side and gently kicking her cheek. Angel scurried over to them both, hiding between Rain's paws, trembling.

Breeze and Ami hesitated before tottering over to their crying mother, cuddling up to her side and staring with round, frightened eyes at the lava. Blue hesitated before going over to Rain, standing uncertainly beside her. All of them just stood there for a long time, listening to Marcy's sobbing...until another powerful shiver passed through the mountain.

"What was that?" Zero asked quietly, lifting his head and looking around.

After a moment of quiet, Rosemary's eyes widened. "It's awakening," she rasped, making everyone but Marcy look at her. "The volcano..."

Rain saw understanding bloom in Zero's eyes, closely followed by terror. "The volcano's going to erupt!" He gasped. He quickly looked at Rain. "We need to go, now!"

Terror bolted through her and she quickly nodded. "You take Angel," she told him, watching him nod before quickly picking up the kit. "Blu," Rain turned to him, "You're coming with us. Stick close to Zero. Marcy-" She went to the grieving cat's side and gently nudged her to her feet. "Marcy, come on. You need to get your kits out of here..."

Marcy's eyes were blank with sadness but she at least listened to her, picking up Breeze and Ami by their scruffs.

Rain let out a shaky breath, surprised by how calm she was on the outside while, on the inside, she was panicking. "Alright. We need to get out of the volcano as quickly as we can and then put as much distance between us and it as possible. Rosemary, are you co-" She blinked in surprise as Rosemary charged up and out of the basin, the guards hesitating before all letting out horrified yowls and racing after her.

Another shiver came, but this time it was much more violent, almost knocking Rain over.

"Come on!" Zero snapped against Angel's fur. "We need to go!"

Rain nodded and all of the cats quickly took off, running as quickly as they all could as the mountain began to tremble more and more until it was a constant, violent shaking that was constantly trying to trip them up and send them falling into its gaping mouth of lava.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, another tremor came...but this one was, by far, the most powerful. It felt like someone had picked the mountain right up and was shaking it around violently. Rain tripped some and fell against Blu, making Zero skid to a halt. He hurried back to them and shoved them both back up, eyes wide, staring in horror at something over Rain's shoulder.

Rain saw this horror and looked over her shoulder as well...only for her inner panic to catch up with how she was acting. She let out a terrified screech at seeing the lava rising, heading towards them. She stood the rest of the way and shoved Blu up, pushing against Marcy. "Go go GO! The lava's rising, GO!" She screamed, making them all start running once more.

She felt the rough stone underfoot tearing at her pads due to the speed, but even the blood coming from her feet didn't stop her. She could feel the searing heat of the lava nipping at the tip of her tail. If they didn't hurry, they would all face the same fate as Ervan and Basil. They quickly reached the base level of the mountain and hurried for the entrance only for Rain to stop and look around.

"Rain!" Zero snapped, handing Angel to Blu. "What are you doing!?"

"T-the other cats!" She cried, staring at the spiral that went up the mountain. "All of the queens and kits-"

"There's nothing we can do for them now!" He roared over another powerful tremor. "We need to get out of here!"

"But-"

"Think of **YOUR** kits, Rain!"

She wanted to argue further, but the lava bubbling up from the opening in the floor changed her mind. She cried a silent apology to all of the cats they were abandoning within the mountain before turning and hurrying after Zero and the others.

They raced out of the opening of the mountain, the light of sunset greeting them. They didn't stop to rest or let out a breath of relief, though. No, they kept running and running, trying to get as far away from the shaking mountain as they possibly could. It seemed that, no matter how far they went, the ground continued to tremble and groan beneath their paws. Rain forced herself to keep speeding up more and more, eyes widening as she saw a dark plume of smoke filling the sky, hiding the shades of violet and pink behind a thick cloud of black.

"Up that hill!" Zero cried to all of them, indicating a small hill with his tail. "That should be far enough away, but if it's not, at least it's high ground!"

Everyone obeyed him, swerving to head for the hill. Rain was gasping and shaking when she reached the top of it, her companions all equally shaken up and out of breath. Rain took a moment before slowly turning, looking at the volcano. Her eyes widened as she watched lava spew from the top before it began to sluggishly travel down the face of the mountain. They all watched in silence as the lava ventured downwards and the black smoke overhead crawled further and further out and over the sky.

"...We can't stay here," Zero murmured. "We can't rest or hunt anywhere near here. That smoke and the ash that will be falling soon will suffocate us. We need to move until we've at least escaped the smoke."

"How long will that take?" Squeaked out Breeze, her and her sister trembling in terror.

He shook his head. "I don't know. But we need to go. We need to find somewhere safe. Once we have, we'll eat and rest and then discuss what do from there. Is that alright, Rain?"

She tilted her head a little, confused as to why he would ask her this, but nodded.

"Then let's go."

Zero led the way, heading down the opposite slope of the hill and beginning the long trek away from the volcano, Marcy and Blu following him. Rain hesitated, glancing over her shoulder at the volcano. She stared at it for a long time before looking away and hurrying after her companions.

* * *

**Woooo, I finally updated! No abandoning this fanfic for me, nope! So sorry for the delay, everyone. There were some serious family things going on, but everything's a whole lot better now, so hopefully I can get onto a schedule to make sure I update frequently. Thanks for reading! :)**


	7. The Promise

The moment Zero told them they could finally stop and rest, Rain collapsed onto the ground below her, unable to keep herself up any longer. She felt horrible. She hardly had the energy to lift her head, let alone walk far enough to lay down in the dried, lifeless grass a few steps away. She heard a quiet growl from Zero before the tom gently gripped her scruff in his jaws and dragged her the rest of the way. The grass was uncomfortable, but it was better than the cold stone of the mountain. They had been traveling without rest for five straight days, stopping only to get an occasional drink of water. They hadn't stopped to rest or eat, not wanting the cloud of smoke to catch up with them. And the result was that Rain, Marcy and the kits were barely clinging to consciousness.

The clouds and ash from the volcano were still visible, but Zero seemed confident they couldn't reach them now. Rain's ear twitched and she glanced over some as Marcy plopped down in the grass beside her, sides heaving with exhaustion. Her kits cried in hunger and tried to suckle, Angel bumbling over and joining them. All three began to cry when they couldn't get any milk from the Queen.

"You," Zero turned to Blu, who flinched, looking at the intimidating orange tom with wide eyes. "We need to hunt. A lot. Those two need food and fast."

"I...I-I don't know how...t-to hunt..." Blu squeaked out, crouching down nervously, ears flat against his head.

"I'll teach you. Come on."

Rain watched Zero lead the nervous young cat off. She sighed weakly and closed her eyes. She wanted to just fall asleep right there, but forced herself to stay awake. After a few minutes she forced her eyes back open, glancing over at Marcy. Her eyes were still dulled over with sadness, staring blankly at the dead grass in front of her nose. Breeze and Ami were curled up at her side, whimpering as Angel continued to cry loudly for food.

Rain struggled to sit up some, moving closer to Marcy and nuzzling all three kits. "Hush little ones..." she rasped, her mouth and throat so dry it pained her just to speak. She didn't want the kits making too much noise, though. They out in the open. No trees and no mountains sided them to keep them protected and out of the sight of predators. If the kits continued to cry, they would endanger all of them. Rain did her best to keep the kits calm and quiet, grooming them and forcing out hoarse purrs in an attempt to comfort them.

She paused in this and lifted her head when the sweet, welcoming smell of fresh food it her nose. She sighed in weak relief as Zero returned to them, holding two thin rabbits in his mouth. "I know they're small," he huffed as he sat them down beside the two queens, "But they'll have to do. That kit is still hunting."

"Any food at this moment looks like a feast," Rain said quickly before digging in.

Marcy glanced with disinterest at the rabbit, frowning. It was only when her kits continued to cry that she sat up and ate as well.

Zero settled down beside Rain, his ears up and swiveling in every direction. Rain saw his eyes scanning the land and skies, looking for any encroaching signs of danger. A few minutes later Blu returned as well, holding a few measly mice in his mouth, his head bowed and his tail tucked. Zero spotted him and made a frustrated sound. "You hardly caught anything."

The young cat flinched, looking down in shame.

"...Well, it's better than nothing. And not too bad for your first time," Zero added quietly a moment later. "Come set them down with the rabbits."

Blu seemed to perk up slightly at that and nodded, padding over to them and dropping the mice.

"You two should eat as well," Rain mewed between mouthfuls of rabbit.

"We can wait. Neither of us have kits to feed," Zero said, sitting down and casting another wary glance around. "You two are going to finish eating and then we need to get moving again. We can't stay here. We need to find a cave or some tree cover before we can really rest. We're too easy to spot out here."

"What would spot us...?" Blu asked quietly, hunching his shoulders some when Zero looked at him.

"Wolves are the main concern," the tom said with a frown, "eagles are less of a threat to us, but they would scoop up a kit in a heart beat. So eat quickly, both of you. I don't want to stay in the open for long."

Rain nodded, glancing at Marcy. The queen was unenthusiastically eating the rabbit she had been given, all three kits now trying frantically to get milk from her. She saw Zero watched them, his intimidating, permanent scowl looking ever so slightly softer, his eyes sad. "At least they're out of that place..." he murmured to Rain. "They wouldn't be alive now if they were still there." He sat there for a moment before giving Rain a small smile. "You were amazing back there. Taking on that devil like that."

She blinked and flattened her ears some, shaking her head. "I-I didn't take her on...I w-was...w-was just trying to protect Angel..."

"Still. It was very brave."

She just shrugged a little and quickly went back to eating. Her and Marcy continued to eat until all that remained of the rabbits and mice were bones and some fur. She felt a lot better with a full stomach and hoped that her kits were eating happily as well. Breeze, Ami and Angel were finally getting some milk from the melancholic Marcy, though they couldn't get much before Zero stood.

"Alright, we need to move. This fresh kill smell will start to attract more predators soon. Once we find a safe place to rest, the kits can feed more."

The kits all sat up, Angel bumbling over to Rain, who picked her up by the scruff.

"I don't wanna walk anymore!" Whined Ami, stomping her little white paws. "My paws hurt!"

"And I'm tired..." Sulked Breeze.

Both kits looked at their mother with their bright green eyes, clearly hoping she'd agree with them. Marcy just stood, going to her daughters and picking them both up by their scruffs before she began walking. Rain exchanged a look with Zero and then followed, Blu sticking closer to her side.

They walked for another whole day, taking turns carrying the exhausted kits. The landscape began to change severely the more they walked. They slowly went from pure mountainous stone, to dead grass growing in dry dirt along the mountain sides, to half-dead grass and a few withering trees and now, finally, slightly lusher grass with fuller, prickly pine trees coated in snow.

It was at twilight Zero finally veered off their straight path, going over to one of the pine trees and sniffing around its base. He kept sniffing, his tail flicking back and fourth. When he stopped, he lifted his head and looked back over at them. "Alright, come over here. There's an abandoned badger den."

"Badger?" Rain meowed cautiously.

"Big, ugly things. Slow and dumb but dangerous. The scent here smells to be very old, though, and I can't smell anymore nearby. This will be a safe, dry place for us all to rest and gather our bearings."

Rain nodded and led the way to the den. At first all she could see was a hole in the ground. She cast a look at Zero who simply smiled and slipped into the hole, vanishing completely. Rain blinked but followed him, squeezing herself carefully into the hole. She crawled through a narrow tunnel for a few seconds, wondering if this was what Zero wanted them to stay in. Her doubts were vanquished, however, when the tunnel gradually widened and then suddenly opened up wide into a large underground burrow. The ground was made plush and comfortable with grass and other plants, some large black and white tufts of fur also settling here and there.

Her eyes widened as she entered the burrow, looking around before looking at Zero, who was sitting near the back looking pleased with himself. "Zero...you're right," she said, smiling at him, "This will be perfect. Safe and warm...ideal for the kits..."

She glanced over as Blu and Marcy came in with the kits. Blu instantly relaxed at being somewhere safe, having been on edge ever since Zero had mentioned the wolves and eagles. "Wooooah!" Gasped Ami, scampering in enthusiastically, "This place is so pretty! The walls are warm and the ground is so soft!" She mewed eagerly and bowed her sister over, rolling around with her in the soft bedding. Angel tried to join in the fray only for Rain to pick her up and set her near Marcy, who had laid down in the corner.

"Eat, little one," Rain mewed, licking her neck. At that, the other two kits stopped playing and raced over to their mother and began suckling, Angel soon joining them.

"Alright," Zero said as he stood, "Let's do some more hunting, Blu."

"I'll help," Rain told him, coming forward.

"Rain-"

"I'm not too tired and I'm comfortably full..." she assured him, looking down and shuffling her paws. "...I-I...I don't want to just sit around and be useless...I-I dragged you into this mess, Zero, s-so I want to help..."

He hesitated before chuckling and licking her ear. "If you had 'dragged' me into it, I wouldn't still be here...I guess it couldn't hurt to have you help. I can give you more lessons along with Blu."

She looked up and smiled. "Yes, you only taught me the basics back in the mountains."

He nodded. "And hunting in the mountains and hunting in the forest are two very different things, believe you me. Okay, let's go."

Rain waited for Blu to get up and join her before they both followed Zero out of the burrow. A wind brushed over them as they emerged, making Rain fluff up her fur some and shiver. It was, without a doubt, a lot warmer in the burrow. Part of her now regretted leaving the coziness of it, but a stronger part of her was ready to learn all she could about hunting so she could hunt for her kits once she found their home. After all, she doubted she would have any of her companions with her by then. Eventually, they would move on with their lives. And while that fact saddened her some, she knew she couldn't drag any of them down more than she already had.

"Alright," Zero' said, drawing her from her thoughts, "Now...if my nose is working right, then there are plenty of squirrels, birds and mice around here." He glanced over and saw the confused looks on both cat's faces. "...Right, you two have never seen squirrels." He sat up, looking around slowly for a moment before suddenly crouching low to the ground. He stayed there, completely still, before he suddenly shot out like a rocket, zipping to the right and then returned to them, holding a strange, furry creature with a long tail. He dropped it at Rain's paws. "That's a squirrel."

"Looks...like it's more fur than food..." Blu mumbled, leaning down to sniff it.

"It's the tail that makes it look like that. Blu, take that squirrel to Marcy and then come back. I'm going to start showing Rain how to hunt here."

Blu dipped his head and carried the squirrel off as Rain joined Zero's side.

He began to instruct her on how to efficiently hunt in the forest, using the constantly changing wind to her advantage as well as the trees, tall grass and undergrowth. It wasn't too much different than hunting in the mountain. She just had to make sure to be a lot lighter on her paws and much quieter as she moved around, since there was so much she could step on on the forest floor. She had to constantly be aware of what was touching every part of her body. Even the tiniest out of place rustle from a bush could startled away a hearty meal.

Blu rejoined them as Rain was practicing her stalking. She listened with one ear to Zero's instructions to the young cat. Her other ear was focused on the forest around her. She heard some birds rustling about in the trees above and, when she tilted her head back, she saw it was in fact two bluebirds preparing a nest. She flicked her tail some and continued on, her ear strained towards the forest twitching as she heard some mice scurrying about nearby. She lowered herself to the ground even more, tail straight out behind her, and carefully, slowly slunk through the tall grass until she saw the mice.

They were both running about in one little area, nibbling on blades of grass and on small seeds. Rain bunched her body together, putting her weight onto her haunches as she watched the mice, both ears now focused completely on them. Slowly and slowly they came ever so slightly closer to her as they looked for better seeds and grass to eat. Right when they got just close enough, the young she-cat sprang, slamming her paws onto both. One managed to wriggle away and flee, squeaking up a storm. She huffed and quickly broke the less fortunate of the two's neck before it could make a sound.

"Rain?" Zero pushed through some nearby bushes, coming over to the she-cat as she sat up.

"I'm sorry...I-I was going for two mice at once at one got away..."

He smiled and brushed her ear with his tail. "It's nothing. You're still just learning how to hunt. Blu and I managed to catch enough fresh kill to last us for the night and tomorrow, so let's head on back to the burrow."

She nodded and picked up her mouse, following him to where Blu was waiting with the kills they had made. Together they carried the food back to the burrow, entering to see the kits, bellies round with fresh milk, play fighting in the center of the hollow.

Ami spotted them coming in and gasped. "Woah! That rabbit's HUGE!"

"Meaning it will feed your mother and Rain very well," Zero said as he set down the indicated rabbit. "Which means more milk for you."

"Yay~!"

"M-Marcy?" Rain meowed, drawing the tabby queen's attention. "T-thank you for feeding Angel as well." She watched the tortoiseshell kit stumbling around with excited mews, trying to keep up with Ami and Breeze's play.

Marcy looked at her as well for a moment before looking away with a simple grunt.

Rain shrugged her shoulders a bit awkwardly and laid down, sighing and resting her head on her paws. _We'll be alright now, my kits..._ She silently told the tiny beings inside of her, stroking her stomach with her tail. _We'll find our home soon..._

"Rain!" Ami scampered over to her, tail quivering in excitement. "Where are we going next!?"

Rain blinked, lifting her head. "G-going?"

"Yeah! You took us from the Orphanage, then that open place, now here! Where's next!?"

She stared at her, mouth open, silent.

"She brings up a good point," said Zero as he laid down near Blu. "We need to decide what we're all going to do next so there are no misunderstandings. We can't just stay in this burrow forever."

Rain glanced at him, hesitating before nodding. "Well...I'm going to continue on trying to find a nice, safe home for my kits...as far away from the mountains as I can possibly get. I don't want to be found by Shard or any of his Elites..."

"You believe he's still looking for you?" Asked Zero.

She nodded slowly, "You don't know Shard...he...he hates being shown up or having his power denounced. He'll search beyond the ends of the earth to find me and kill me...so I need to find somewhere very safe, where I can easily hide or protect my kits."

Zero gave his own small nod. "Well...at least you'll have help."

"Help?"

He looked at her and gave a small smile. "I'm coming with you. If it's alright. I...think I've lived up my penitence of living in solitude for killing my father. I'm tired of the loneliness and you could definitely use the help and company, right?"

She hesitated before smiling softly. "Yes...thank you, Zero."

He nodded and looked at the tabby she-cat lying on her side. "What about you, Marcy? What will you do?"

She said nothing, staring at her daughters.

"I wanna go with Rain, mommy!" Ami told her, hopping up and down eagerly, "We get to see cool places with her! I wanna go with her and see more cool places!"

"I want to too, mommy," Breeze pipped up.

Marcy looked between them, frowning. "...It's...her fault your father's dead..."

The warm, cozy feeling in the burrow suddenly turned tense and uncomfortable. Rain flinched violently at her words, her green eyes wide, the fur on the back of her neck rising some. Zero stared at Marcy in shock before growling. "Her fault!? How in the world is it her fault!?"

Marcy snapped her eyes onto him and hissed, standing, her tail lashing from side to side. "Because she was going to fall into the lava with Basil! But Ervan saved her hide and then ended up dying himself! If Rain had died, Ervan would still be alive!"

"He chose to save her!" Zero snapped furiously, "It's not like she forced him to!"

"If she hadn't sprung onto her without thinking-"

"She was trying to save you and the kits, you MOUSEBRAIN!" Zero snarled, his eyes narrowed furiously, "She saved your life and your kits lives! Ervan made his choice to save her! It was what he wanted!"

"It doesn't change the fact it's _**HER FAULT HE'S DEAD!**_"

"Are you even listening to me!? It's not her fault!"

Rain watched the two argue, hunched up in the corner, trembling. She glanced at the kittens to see them recoiling in right at seeing their mother looking so furious. Blu's back was arched and he was completely frozen in fear, clearly ready to leap out of the way if the two got into a fight. Rain hesitated before closing her eyes tightly, taking deep, shaky breaths. A moment later she swallowed hard and stood, looking at the two. "S-stop it..."

"And another thing! If you hadn't planned that STUPID ATTACK on the orphanage, nothing would have happened! Ervan would still be alive!"

"He helped with the plan! It was partially his idea!"

"You didn't have to go along with him! You should have known it would spell his death!"

"S...s-stop it..."

"He was desperate to make sure you and his kits were safe! He would have done it anyway, all by himself! He would have died anyway!"

"No he wouldn't've! He would have stayed alive! I would have been miserable, but he would have _**LIVED!**_"

"_Stop it..!_"

"You don't **KNOW** that!"

"YES I do! Ervan-"

"_**STOP IT!**_" Rain suddenly roared, making all of the cats in the burrow flinch and fall silent, all looking at her with wide, shocked eyes. The she-cat stood there, frowning, her tail lashing angrily from side to side. "Enough! If there's one thing we know, it's that Ervan would NOT want this!" She turned to Marcy, "He would want you and your kits to be as happy as you possibly could! He'd want you to be safe and happy, not brooding over his death and blaming others for it! Maybe...maybe it is my fault, and I'm sorry...but I can't go back in time and change what happened..." she gazed at the queen, her eyes and voice softening. "I'm so sorry for what happened...and you can hate me as much as you want...just don't make Ervan sad by living the rest of your life so angry and restless, especially not when you have your kits to care for..."

Marcy stared at her, saying nothing.

Rain ducked her head a bit before pushing past Zero and slipping out of the burrow, shaking as she left. She stepped out into the fresh air and shook herself off, giving a few swift licks to her ruffled chest fur. She sighed and sat down in the soft grass, tilting her head back to look at the bits of sky that peeked through the canopy. It was night now, with the moon slowly rising overhead and the stars glistening like tiny diamonds.

She sighed as she watched those stars, remembering the stories of the Tribe of Endless Hunting back at the cave. She hesitated before letting out another soft breath. "...Ervan...I don't know if you can hear me...but if your death is my fault, then I am so, so, SO sorry...I never meant to hurt anyone...not you, not your kits, not Marcy..." she closed her eyes, lowering her head. "...Just...I know I shouldn't ask anything of you...b-but...help Marcy be happy...I'm not worth being so upset over. She should just be happy and live a long, healthy life with her kits...please..."

She opened her eyes and looked up just in time to see a shooting star pass through one of the gaps in the leaves. She blinked, staring at where it had been until a rustling came from behind her. She looked around to see Marcy coming out of the burrow, walking up to her and sitting down nearby.

Both she-cats sat in the utter silence of the night, Rain averting her eyes and staring instead at her paws. They stayed that way for a good while before Marcy finally lifted her head and looked at Rain.

"...I can't stop blaming you," she told her, her voice still a but shaky but calmer than it had been. "Even if I tried, I just...can't..."

Rain lowered her head. "...I-it's fine...that you do...i-it...thinking about it, it really is my fault..."

"...Then make it up to me," Marcy murmured.

"H-how?"

"Make it up to me by keeping my kits save."

Rain's ears perked and she lifted her head, eyes widening. "You're abandoning them!?"

"No!" Marcy glared at her in annoyance. "I never said that. But...you can make what happened up to me...by sharing the home you'll eventually find for your unborn kits. Share it with mine. Keep them safe and lead them to a place where they can be safe and happy. If anything...you seem like a cat whose whole life gravitates around her kits...so include my kits in that dedication..."

"...So, you're going to come with me?" Rain asked softly.

Marcy hesitated before huffing. "If you promise..."

Rain hesitated before gently touching the she-cat's shoulder with her tail tip, giving her a small smile when she looked up. "I promise."

Marcy looked at her and, only a moment later, tears were spilling from her eyes. She looked away quickly, trembling some and gritting her teeth together. Rain scooted over, pressing her side to Marcy's and hugging her with her tail. "He's not really gone," she told her softly, "He'll always keep watching over you and your daughters...he loved all of you...death won't keep him from making sure you're safe..."

Marcy let out a powerful sob and weakly pressed her face into Rain's fur. Rain just purred soothingly to her, willing to spend the entire night like this if she needed to.

If she was going to work to earn Marcy's forgiveness, it was the very least she could do.


	8. Traveling

"She didn't know how else to react, Zero..." Rain leaped over a fallen log, Zero following her with an frustrated huff. "She lost the one she loved and felt she couldn't do anything else but blame the one who's most likely...to blame for his death..."

"It wasn't your fault," Zero assured her, glancing over with a frown.

"If it is or isn't is debatable," she murmured with a shrug, "the fact remains that, if it makes her happier, she can blame me all she wants. But in the end, what she wants the most is for her kits to be safe. That's why she's going to come with us."

He frowned, grumbling a little.

"You want the kits to be safe, don't you?"

"Of course I do...it's her I have the problem with."

"I'm sure once she gets over her grief she'll be able to think more clearly," Rain said softly, pausing near a bush, "Blu said he wants to come along with us as well. He doesn't know what else to do." She sat down, looking at her paws. "...I started off with just myself, now I have all of you...it's strange."

Zero brushed her shoulder with his tail as he sat down beside her. "Why is it strange?"

"I'm...not used to this kind of support," she said with a weak, half-laugh. "...I mean, I had friends back at the Tribe, including my brother...but no one was ever able to give open support about anything without fear of retaliation."

"Well...you're not there anymore," Zero said before looking up at the sky. "...But, you're not safe yet. None of us are. We need to leave soon...we've been staying in that burrow for three days now. Predators will surely be catching wind of our fresh kills and will be coming around to investigate...if a fox or badger finds us while we're sleeping, the kits would be doomed."

"Where will we go next?"

"Well, away from the mountains, that's a given. I'm not sure what lies beyond this area, though...it might be more forest or it might give way into Twoleg territory."

Rain paused, having been shuffling through the grass with her paws, and looked at him. "You mentioned them before...are they dangerous?"

"They're not too dangerous, from what I've seen, but I'm not sure how they feel about cats, so it's best to avoid them."

"What do we do if we end up in their territory?" Rain asked worriedly.

"Keep to the shadows and get out as quickly as possible. It's the only thing we **can** do if that happens."

She gave a small nod. "...When will we leave, then?"

"I'd like to leave within the next few days, if possible. For now, let's go collect the fresh kill we caught and return to the burrow."

She nodded and went back with him to where they had buried their kills. They collected them and then returned to their hideaway, where Blu was sitting watch outside. He relaxed in relief when he saw them approaching. "Thank goodness you're both back...those kits are terrors..."

"Terrors?" Rain smiled at his exhausted sigh.

"They want to play fight non stop! Every five seconds they use me as target practice!"

Rain chuckled, brushing past the young tom and entering the burrow. The moment she entered, she was tackled by a squealing Ami and Angel. "Got you, intruder!" Ami announced gleefully, hoping around on Rain's back as Angel bit her ear and tugged on it, growling.

"Oh nooo! I'm being attacked!" Rain cried, squirming beneath the kits a bit.

"You can't escape! You won't steal our fresh kill!" Ami declared boldly as she bounded around on the she-cat...until her mother came over and plucked her up and off of Rain.

"Don't jump around like that. You might land on her stomach," Marcy said calmly as she sat Ami down beside the much calmer Breeze, who hadn't participated in the play attack.

Rain sat up, Angel rolling off of her with a grunt. "It's alright, Marcy...if they want to play, they can pla-" She was silenced by a glare from the green-eyed cat.

"If they landed on your stomach, they could hurt your kits," the queen told her huffily. "No rough housing with Rain. If you want to play rough, do it with Blu or Zero."

"Not me!" Blu quickly protested as he and Zero entered the burrow together.

"YES YOU!" Ami suddenly cried, charging at him before tackling him, Angel following her lead happily.

Zero rolled his eyes and put the fresh kill down in the center of the burrow, sitting as Rain came up beside him. "Zero thinks we should leave soon," she told Marcy as she got some food.

Marcy glanced up at them, looking uncertain. "Where will we go?"

"We'll just continue to go the way we've been going," Zero explained, "If we keep on a steady path, we'll eventually find the place we're all seeking. Somewhere safe and bountiful in food."

"Or we might just find danger," Marcy countered, narrowing her eyes.

"Of course we'll find danger on our way to find safety. But we will do our best to avoid it and we're a lot safer traveling together than if we were all traveling separately."

Marcy huffed and chose a plump mouse out of the pile of food, lying down and eating.

"...How about we leave tomorrow?" Rain suggested softly. "We have plenty of fresh kill right now. We'll all eat our fill and get a good nights rest and then set out first thing in the morning."

"...Sounds reasonable," murmured Marcy.

"Very well," Zero agreed quietly.

Rain nodded and went over to where the kits were still attacking Blu. She picked them off of him, smiling at their pouts. "Blu needs to eat. We're leaving tomorrow, so once your mother finishes eating, get your fill and then get some rest."

Ami's eyes brightened and she quickly nodded. "Okay! Angel, come on! Let's practice our fighting skills with Breeze until mommy's ready!" She hurried off, Angel scampering after her.

Rain watched them fondly for a moment before she picked out a rabbit for herself and settled down beside Zero, enjoying the plump, hearty meal. After all, since they were setting out again tomorrow, she knew their next meal might be days away. They all ate in silence, filling themselves to the brim before lying down to rest. Rain watched as Marcy laid down on her side, welcoming the kits to have their fill of milk. She looked to the side, watching Zero lay down beside her, his ears pined towards the kits as they suckled.

"...I'm most worried about them," he said quietly. "They're all very young. I'm concerned they won't make the journey..."

Rain hesitated before closing her eyes. "They're strong..."

"Strength only gets you so far. Wits, speed and endurance are vital as well...I say, if they make it to our next resting point, I need to start teaching them to fight. All of you, actually. You're pretty good at just flinging yourself into a scrap and fighting off of instinct, but you need to learn how to actually fight using your brain, speed and brawn all at once."

"Well, so far you've proved to be a great teacher," Rain told him, smiling, "So I'm sure we're all learn how to fight quite well."

He smiled before yawning, stretching out his front legs. "Let's get some rest."

Dipping her head in agreement, Rain watched as Zero curled up an slowly drifted off to sleep. Blue huddled into a bundle of grass near the entrance, curling his tail around his body and falling into slumber fairly quickly. Marcy groomed each of the kits in turn before turning in as well, the kittens snuffling up at her stomach. She smiled as she looked at each of her companions in turn. This was such a stark difference from nighttime back at the Tribe. Where everyone had to find their own warmth or deal with the biting cold all night. Here, right at this moment, they were all sharing their heat to assure that each one of them was warm and comfortable.

Rain's smile faltered, though, as she thought about her brother and friends back at the Tribe. She hesitated before standing and quietly stepping over her companions, slipping out of the den and out into the moonlight. She leaped on top of the burrow and sat down, craning her head back to look at what she could see of the moon through the trees. It was full, tonight, making the night look much brighter than it otherwise would have.

"Dew..." she meowed softly, "Wave...I hope you're both doing alright..." She sighed and closed her eyes as she left the soft moonlight wash over her. "...Someday, once we mind a safe home...I'll come back for you and the others. I promise. The home we find will always have room for you..."

She opened her eyes again and blinked at the moon and the bright, glistening stars that decorated the night sky. She stayed out in the moonlight for a good while before she sighed and returned to the warm confines of the burrow, lying back down beside Zero an falling asleep.

* * *

"Yaaaay! We're leaving, we're leaving!" Squealed Ami, bouncing around like a rabbit, Angel trying to copy her bouncing.

"Weaving, weaving!" Squealed the much younger kit.

"Will you two hold still?" Marcy huffed. "We can't go until I get all of the twigs out of your fur, so if you really want to leave, then sit still and behave like your sister!" She motioned to Moth with her tail, who was sitting calmly off to the side.

Ami froze, Angel bumping into her and falling over with a grunt.

Rain chuckled and gripped the kit's scruff, sitting her upright and nudging her back to Marcy. She turned and left the burrow, stepping out into slightly hazy morning. The air felt slightly damp, promising rain sometime in the near future. She noticed Blu scratching his claws on a nearby tree, stretching out his limbs to get ready for the next leg of their journey.

"Good morning." She looked up to see Zero sitting atop of the burrow.

"Morning," she replied, leaping up beside him. She followed his eyes, which were staring intently into the depths of the forest.

"We have two most likely options for what we'll find," Zero told her after a prolonged silence. "We'll either find more and more forest or a Twoleg city. Hopefully we'll just find forest, but if we find a Twoleg city...we'll have to be extremely careful. The Twolegs I've seen don't take too kindly to cats they don't know. Not to mention there are dogs swarming all over the place."

"Dogs?"

"They're like wolves, but they let Twolegs touch them and live in their homes. But their blood lust for us remains. All the more reason I want to teach all of you how to fight properly."

She gave a small nod. "But we won't stop again until we find a safe place to do so, right?"

"Right." He leaned his head back as a quiet rumble came from overhead. "It's going to rain soon...we should get going." He leaped off of the burrow, sticking his head into it to let Marcy and the kits know it was time to go.

"Blu, ready to go?" Rain called over to the young tom, who looked up in surprise.

He gave a small grimace an shrugged. "I-I guess..."

"What's wrong?"

He looked down, shuffling his paws a bit. "J-just nervous...I-I mean, we don't know what we'll find...w-what if we find something dangerous? Or what if something bad happens?"

She approached him and licked his ear gently. "It'll be okay. We're a lot safer since we're traveling together. You'll be safe, I promise."

He gave a small nod, though he didn't seem too reassured. Rain waited with him until Zero came out of the burrow with Marcy and the kits. "Ready to get going?" The tom asked, Marcy sweeping her tail to make sure the kits stayed close to her.

"Yes," Rain sat up, Blu standing with her. "Which way?"

"North. My mother always used to tell me, when in doubt, follow the North Star. It will always lead you somewhere."

Breeze leaned her head back, staring at the sky for a moment before looking curiously at him. "But it's day time. I don't see any stars."

"But at night, you can see the North star in the sky, right over the horizon," Zero indicated the distant line of trees with his tail. "So, that's north."

"Ooh...can you show me which star is the North star tonight?"

He nodded and flicked his tail. "Alright...let's get going."

Zero led the way as they set out once more. Blu walked behind him, Marcy and Rain following at the back an keeping their eyes on the kits. Rain's eyes flicked here and there as they walked, observing any noticeable landmarks that they passed. They could be useful if they got turned around and got lost. She was guessing that it was about mid new-leaf. She had heard about the changing seasons from some of the elders back at the Tribe, but she had never seen them herself. She had heard, though, that new-leaf was when the flowers and trees were only just waking up from their slumber during leaf-bare.

The trees around them were plush with fresh green leaves, a few unopened flowers decorating their spherical bodies. She heard and even spotted a few birds fluttering around, a few landing here and there in the trees, singing their songs to one another and gathering up materials to build their nests.

"Hey, Rain?" She looked down to see Ami smiling up at her as they walked. "When are your kittens coming?"

Rain blinked and gave a small smile. "It will still be awhile, sweetie."

"But your belly's already getting kinda big!"

"She'll be quite a bit bigger by the time the kits are ready to come," Marcy told her daughter calmly. She looked at Rain, eyes flicking over her stomach. "Just looking at you, I'd say you are about one moon into your pregnancy. You have another moon and then some to go still."

Rain nodded. "I knew I wasn't too far along...I'm hoping we find the place we're looking for before they're born."

"That would be ideal," Marcy replied quietly.

"I want our new home to have lots and lots of trees!" Ami effused. "A-and rivers! Rivers with all kinds of pretty stones and shells in them! And lots and lots of food that's nice and **fat!**"

"You've got to be careful when there's bountiful prey," Zero said, stopping and turning to the little kit. "Otherwise YOU might get fat."

"I won't get fat!" she gasped, glaring at him.

"You never know. In fact, you're looking a little round already," he gave her a light nudge with his paw, making her squeak and fall over, rolling on the ground back to her mother.

"You're surprisingly good with kits," Marcy observed calmly.

Zero froze and looked at them for a moment before clearing his throat and turning away, resuming walking.

Rain chuckled, watching Marcy put Ami back on her paws. "Don't make him feel embarrassed about how he handles kits."

"You wouldn't expect a cat that looks like him to be so good with them," Marcy said, shrugging. "That's all I meant."

"He can't help how he looks. We should be glad that he IS the way he is, otherwise neither of us would probably be here, as well as the kits."

Marcy said nothing, focusing her attention on the kittens instead.

They walked for a long time, traveling through the forest of trees that all seemed like endless copies of one another. It was slightly disorienting, but Zero kept them on track, stopping every now and then to sniff at the wind, watch the shadows or check the moss on boulders to make sure they were still traveling north. Rain and Marcy took turns carrying the kits when they complained about their paws hurting from walking for so long. Eventually they put the tiny Angel on Zero's back, letting her curl up between his broad shoulders to rest. The other two wanted to do the same, but Marcy assured them they were too big to ride on the tom. So they were carried instead.

As night began to fall, all of them instinctively bunched closer together. A small flinch from Blu came every time they heard a rustling in the trees or a deep, echoing call from a nearby owl. "C-...c-can we s-stop somewhere f-for the night...?" Blu eventually asked.

"It's not safe," Zero replied. "I've seen nowhere where we can stop. We don't want to sleep out in the open, especially with the kits. An owl could swoop in and grab them at any moment."

Marcy leaned her head back, watching the sky nervously. "I've never seen an owl before...how big are they?"

"They vary...some are too small to be a bother, but some are larger than three cats put together."

"WHAT!?" Ami squeaked, her eyes widening, "How is something bigger than three cats put together!?"

"There are a lot of animals out there that are a lot bigger than many cats together," Rain told her quietly, "The wolves in the mountains were huge...they were easily larger than about ten cats, maybe even more."

"And there are animals called horses," Zero added, "I've seen Twolegs riding them before. They HUGE four-legged creatures with short fur on their bodies an longer fur on their heads and tail. They don't have paws, either. They have rock-like things for feet."

"Rocks on their feet?" Breeze's green eyes turned round. "W-what if they stepped on you?"

"You'd be as flat as the ground. They're large creatures and sound incredibly heavy."

"T-that sounds cool...but terrifying," Ami said, glancing over her shoulder as if she thought one of the animals was going to run up to her and squash her.

"Speaking of large animals..." Rain spoke up, looking at Zero, "Have you seen eagles before? We saw them all the time at the Tribe."

"Oh yes. I almost got picked up by one when I was younger."

"W-what's an eagle?" Blu asked.

"Large birds," Rain murmured, "Like owls, but bigger...and less dangerous, because they're noisy when they fly. Owls are silent." She saw Marcy look around apprehensively, searching for any of the silent predators that might be approaching.

"It's alright," she told the she-cat softly. "Any owls around will be less-likely to bother the kits since we're with them. They don't like to mess with older cats. A few owls tried to take kits from the Tribe a few times, but when their mothers came out, they flew away."

"...For running away, you sure do talk a lot about your Tribe," Marcy said after a long pause.

Rain stopped in her tracks, the others stopping as well and looking at her. Her eyes flicked to each of them for a moment before she looked down at her paws, silent. She soon lifted her head and looked around, in the direction of the mountains.

"...Do you miss your Tribe?" Zero asked quietly.

Rain was silent for a long time before she sat down, lowering her eyes. "...I don't miss the life...I don't miss a lot of the cats...but I do miss my friends and my brother. I worry about them...who knows what's happening to them there? Who knows if Shard is hurting them because of me?" She grimaced, flattening her ears against her head. "I just...I-I don't regret running away, but..."

"Why don't we go back and help your friends?" Breeze asked.

Rain looked at her an gave a small smile. "It wouldn't be that easy, sweetie...the leader of my Tribe is very powerful and has many strong cats at his beck and call..." She sighed and shook herself off. "I-I'm sorry," she murmured, standing. "I'm slowing us down...it's okay, I'll get over it."

Zero frowned and stepped closer. "Rain, you can't 'get over' worrying about your family and friends. And there's nothing wrong with it, either. Maybe someday we can-"

He was interrupted by a loud, terrifying screech that split the air like a knife. Marcy's eyes widened and she quickly gathered up the kits, hiding them beneath her. Blu dropped to the ground, eyes wide, shaking in horror.

"Owl," growled Zero, stretching his head up and looking for the predator.

Rain looked for it as well...but instead of seeing the creature, her ears picked up another high-pitched sound. She listened for a moment before gasping, drawing everyone's attention. "I hear kits crying!"

"What!?" Marcy stood in shock. "Kits!? Where!? The owl might be after them!"

"This way!" Rain turned and bolted off into the forest, her ears focused on the distant crying of young kits. Somewhere overhead, another eerie screech from an owl came...and, following it, a terrified, heartbroken wail.

"_**BREEZE!**_"


	9. A New Family

The moment she heard the cry, Rain skidded to a stop, turning sharply on the tips of her paws and bolting back to her companions, her heart dropping, her body being gripped in an icy hand of fear as she heard Marcy's screams of horror. She burst back out onto the trail they were traveling on to see a terrifying sight. A large, amber-eyed owl was screeching and hissing, flapping its wings desperately. Zero was clinging to its sides with his claws, scratching at it with everything he could to try and free the wailing Breeze from the deadly grip of the owl's talons. The owl was lifting off into the air some, taking Zero with it, as Marcy huddled in horror over Ami and Blu.

Without thinking, Rain launched herself at the owl as well, spitting and growling as she sunk her claws into the other feathery side of the owl. The nighttime predator let out a furious screech and raked at her with its kitten-free talons, scratching her shoulder, leaving deep, bloody welts in its wake. She refused to let go, fighting and screaming along with Zero to try and get the owl to let go of Breeze.

Suddenly, the owl gave a powerful jerk forward, shocking both of the cats. Zero's grip loosened slightly and, another jerk later, the owl had thrown the large tom off of him, sending him crashing into Blu. Terrified, Rain closed her eyes and gripped the owl even tighter, holding on for both her own life and Breeze's.

"Hang on!"

Rain opened her eyes and quickly looked around, confused by the new voice that seemed to come out of nowhere. The next thing she knew, a streak of silver shot down from the trees and rammed into the owl, which made a strangled squawk come from it as it tumbled to the ground. It landed with a harsh thud, jolting Rain right off of it and sending her rolling across the dirt floor. She instantly leaped right back up, staring in shock as the owl flapped around like mad, trying to escape it's captor and their savior.

He was a young, lean silver tom covered with flecks of darker gray and black. He wrestled on the ground with the owl, not seeming at all fazed by its flapping and screaming. Finally, clearly fed up with the torment, the owl released Breeze from its talons. Only then did the white silver tom leap off of it, allowing the bird to flap frantically into the sky and fly off with an angry screech into the night.

"Breeze!" Marcy cried, racing over to her daughter, who was trembling in horror, her fluffy golden pelt stained with blood.

"Quick, come with me, all of you," meowed the tom, brushing Marcy's leg with his long, thin.

"Can you help her!?" Marcy asked desperately as she gently picked Breeze up by the scruff.

"If you hurry, yes!" He replied, turning and bounding off into the forest.

There was no questioning him, especially not with the state Breeze was in. Rain hurried after the cat, Marcy, Zero and Blu following her, Ami being carried by her and Angel being carried by Zero as they ran through the sheltering undergrowth. The tom led them through the forest, weaving carefully around trees and bushes until they stepped out into a large clearing that had a single, wooden structure in the center.

Zero instantly stopped, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the structure. "That's a Twoleg nest..." he growled quietly.

"None live here anymore," the tom told him, climbing up onto the porch and shoving the door open. "Come on, hurry in! Put the kit on the nest in the corner."

Rain rushed into the building with Marcy, watching the mother take her kit to the indicated nest. She set her down, shaking with concern as the still bleeding kitten fell over weakly. She was pushed out of the way by the tom, who sniffed Breeze before turning and going to a corner of the building. Rain watched as he scooped up some cobwebs on his paw and then returned to Breeze, packing the cobwebs onto the deep wounds in the kitten's sides.

Marcy paced nearby, watching with round eyes. Rain sat down on the hard wood of the building, panting slightly, Ami and Angel huddling up beside her. She heard Zero and Blu sit down nearby, all of them watching the strange tom take care of Breeze.

"She's lucky," the cat murmured after a long time, sniffing at the wounds on Breeze, which were now all covered with cobwebs. "The owl's talons didn't go that deep. She should be able to escape infection. I'm not master at medicine, but I can tell that much."

"Thank you so much!" Marcy mewed weakly, going straight to her kit and curling around her, licking her head. Ami and Angel hurried over and joined them, being careful of Breeze's injuries.

"Are you alright?" The tom let them be and approached Rain, Zero and Blu. His amber eyes stared at Rain. "You were hurt by the owl too, weren't you?"

"O-oh...it's nothing. Just some scratches...I've had worse," she assured him awkwardly.

He nodded and turned towards Zero. "And you? Are you harmed? It sounded like you took quite a bad fall when the owl tossed you off."

"No, I'm alright," he assured him. "...And you are?"

"Name's flick. I live here with my mate, Fari. She's out hunting right now. Go ahead and rest a bit, all of you. I'm sure you need it. There'll be food here when you wake up, or you can hunt for yourself if you'd prefer. I know just east of here there's a whole burrow of young mice. Easy pickings, in my opinion. You can all stay here as long as you like."

Rain was surprised by the cat's generosity, but wasn't about to question it. "T-thank you, Flick..."

"No problem. And your names?"

"I-I'm Rain...Rain of Late Spring...this is Zero and Blu. That's Marcy, Breeze, Ami and Angel."

"Are you all traveling?" He asked, sitting down and curling his tail around his paws. "Normally so many cats don't travel together."

"Ah, yes, we are..." Rain said with a nod. "W-we're...well, we're looking for a home. A safe home...for all of us." She moved her tail over her stomach gently. As she did so, Flick's ears twitched and he gave a small, knowing smile.

"I understand...you want a nice, safe home for all of you, including your unborn kits. Correct?"

Rain flushed slightly. "...Y-yes..."

"Well, I hope you all find one," He said, smiling.

"What about you?" Blu meowed hesitantly. "Is this...t-this place your home?"

"Yeah, it is. Fari and I found it. We think it's been abandoned for a long time. We've never had any trouble with any Twolegs, nor any predators, so it's a pretty safe, nice home. The only bad thing about it is a cave a little ways off that kind of just drops off into blackness. We do our best to avoid it."

Rain nodded, sitting there for a moment before something came back to her mind. "O-oh, Flick?"

"Yes?"

"Um...before the owl attacked, we heard...we heard kittens crying. Are they around here somewhere?"

Flick froze, staring at her for a long time before clearing his throat and looking away. "N-no...there are no kits around here," he mumbled, walking away.

Rain flattened her ears slightly, grimacing. "R-right, thank you..." She saw Zero giving her a confused look and ducked her head some. He and the others hadn't heard the kits crying, either...only she had. She sighed and laid down, curling up and watching as Flick checked on Breeze. She was so relieved and thankful for the tom's help...and she could tell the others, especially Marcy, were as well. She didn't know what Marcy would have done if she had lost someone else she loved. And she knew Zero's heart would have been eaten up by grief if he had been unable to save the kitten.

She stayed awake for a long time, watching over everyone as they rested and, eventually, slept. Marcy stayed awake until all of the kits had fallen asleep, Zero and Blu falling asleep shortly after her. Flick eventually leaped up onto a bed and laid down, sleeping with his back to them all. Still, Rain stayed awake, staring out of the open door of the abandoned house, watching the night sky slowly shift and change throughout the evening.

It was almost dawn when a sound caught her attention. She lifted her head, staring outside at the mist-covered forest that the sun was beginning to peek through. After a good five minutes of staring, she heard it again. A high pitched crying. The crying of kits.

Rain hesitated before standing and quietly leaving the Twoleg nest, stepping out into the damp morning mist. She trekked carefully into the forest, glancing around as she looked for the source of the crying. The more she walked, the louder it became. She stopped in a small clearing, looking around and swallowing nervously. "...H-hello?" She called into the still dim forest. "Little kits...? Where are you?"

In response to her words, the crying grew louder and louder still.

Frowning, Rain continued forward, pushing through some large, thick bushes only to stumble back a bit in surprise. Right in front of her was the gaping entrance of a cave. The grass under her paws turned to stone a few paces away, leading down into the mouth of the pitch black opening. A small creek to the side could be seen trickling into the cave, vanishing within the darkness. _This must be the cave Flick mentioned..._

From somewhere deep inside of the cave, Rain could hear the kittens, crying louder and louder. "H-hello?" She called into the cave, inching forward a bit and peering inside.

The kittens continue to cry, though no actual answer came.

Rain looked down a little, wondering how dangerous it would be to slip into the cave opening. She didn't see any stones leading downwards...just pitch black. How far down did it go? After a small pause, she nudged forward a small stick that had been sitting nearby. She knocked it right into the cave, craning her ears forward as it fell into the black.

It was several long moments later that she heard it clatter onto solid stone.

"It's so deep..." She observed quietly with a grimace.

"Rain?"

She lifted her head, looking back in the direction of Flick's home.

"Rain! Where are you?" She heard Zero's faint voice calling.

She stood there for a moment, glancing between the cave and the forest before sighing. "I'll come back," she called into the cave, turning and quickly heading back to the house. When she arrived, she was met by Zero, who looked a bit upset.

"Where were you!? I was about to come looking for you!"

"S-sorry...I woke up early, so I thought I'd do a bit of hunting..."

"Doesn't smell like you caught anything."

Flick came out of the next, his silver coat glowing some in the early morning light. Walking alongside him was a pretty, pure-black she-cat with soft brown eyes and several scars along her forelegs. "Rain," Zero glanced at her, "This is Flick's mate, Fari. She came back from hunting while you were...hunting."

"R-right...ni-nice to meet you," she quickly mumbled to the she-cat.

"You as well. Flick told me about you and your group's situation...you're very brave, trying to find a new home just so your kits can be happy," she smiled softly at her, "Now, I brought back plenty of prey, so help yourselves."

"Ah, t-thank you..." Rain glanced at Zero again before following Flick and Fari back into the Twoleg nest.

Inside, Marcy was sitting up in her make-shift nest, grooming Breeze gently as the injured kit slept. Ami sat nearby, watching in concern, while Angel was scampering around Blu, chasing his tail.

"Quite a lively one you've got there," Fari chuckled, pausing beside Rain and watching as Angel jumped around. "Is she the sister of the other two?"

"A-ah, no...she's from my home," Rain told her, "S-she...she was in danger there, so I brought her with me..."

"So neither you or her," Fari motioned at Marcy, "Are her mother?" She asked in surprise, staring at her.

"N-no..."

"Yet you're still taking care of her? How kind," she smiled, looking back at the small tortoiseshell.

"...I-I guess..." Rain looked at her as she walked by, heading for the pile of fresh-kill in the center of the abandoned building. She sat down beside Zero, dragging out a small thrush for herself. She pawed at it absently for a moment, thinking about the kittens she KNEW she had heard crying from within the cave. Did a family with young kits live down there? Were some kits lost and trapped in the darkness of the cave? "...F-Flick?" She spoke up, catching the tom's attention. "A-are you sure there aren't any kits around here?"

The tom stiffened, as did Fari. Rain looked at them both in confusion but continued. "B-because I...well, while I was out hunting, I came across a cave...probably the one you mentioned earlier, and I heard kits crying from inside."

"You what!?" Fari leaped up, making everyone in the building jump in surprise and stare at her.

Rain sat there for a moment, stunned by the she-cat's sudden reaction and her now wide, desperate eyes. "...Y-...y-yes, I did..."

"B-but that's impossible!" Fari looked from her to Flick, who looked almost frightened. "F-Flick, they...th-they couldn't be...c-could they?"

"No! Fari...you know they're not!" Flick flattened his ears, grimacing. "You know they...it's been over four seasons. There's no way they-"

"Wait, what are you two talking about?" Zero stood, narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked between the couple. "Who's 'they'? What's up with that cave?"

Flick and Fari looked at him, both silent for a long time before Fari lowered her eyes some. "We-"

"Fari, don't..."

She shook her head at her mate, sitting down and wrapping her tail around herself. "...Over four seasons ago, Flick and I had a litter of kits all of our own. Three little blessings...Moss, Stone and Owl. They were the most curious, loving kits I had ever known...and they were all ours," she bowed her head some, giving a small tremble. "...W-when...when they were only just two moons old...they decided to explore while Flick and I were out hunting...t-they went deep into the forest...a-and, they didn't see the drop off...!" Her voice cut off with a small choke.

Flick moved closer to her, pressing his side to hers and licking her cheek gently. "We tried to find them," he continued on for his mate, "But we couldn't get very deep into the cave...and there was so much blood down there that we...w-we gave up hope. It's been such a long time since then...not a day goes by that we don't miss them...and not a day goes by that that cave isn't a source of horror for us..."

A long silence fell over all of them as the small group took in the couple's story. Once they got over the initial shock of the story, Zero cleared his throat, lowering his head some. "I'm so sorry...that must have been terrible..."

"Of course it was! They were our kits..." Fari sat up some, taking a deep breath and looking at Rain, frowning slightly. "And you said...you heard kits crying in the cave?"

Rain felt a strange chill run through her as all eyes turned to her. She shifted her paws a bit, eyes flicking to each cat in turn before she gave a small nod. "Y-yes...but...but they couldn't possibly still be-"

"No...we know they're not," Flick murmured. "...But...if more kits are trapped down there..."

"Then we need to do something," Marcy declared as she stood, coming over and joining them. "If there are kits trapped down there, we need to help them."

"Play!"

They all stopped, all of their eyes turning to Angel, who was hopping around by herself now, no longer chasing Blu's tail. She looked like she was still chasing something, but there was nothing but the solid wooden floor around her.

"Play, play!" She squealed, giggling as she rolled around on the floor. "Play Stone, play!"

Rain's jaw dropped in shock and Zero took a small step back. "D-did she just..."

"Stone...did...didn't you say that Stone was one of your kits?" Marcy mewed, looking at Fari and Flick.

The two cats looked dumbfounded, giving hesitant nods as they continued to watch the kit as she ran around.

Suddenly, she stopped, looking back at them. After a long pause that consisted of all of the cats staring at the tiny kit and her staring right back, she leaped up and ran up to Fari, grinning up at her. "Momma!" She squeaked. "Momma, play!"

A stunned silence overtook them all. Rain felt another strange chill up her spine as she looked at Angel, who was staring at Fari with wide, loving eyes. Eyes that a kit would look at their mother with. "A-Angel..." she meowed, catching her attention. "Angel, why are you calling Fari your mother?"

"Momma, momma!" Angel cried, nuzzling Fari's leg. "Stone says this is momma!"

"...C-can we go now?" Blu asked, his voice high-pitched with terror as he looked between Angel and Fari.

"I'm so confused...what is going on here!?" Zero demanded, standing and frowning as he looked at Rain.

She flinched back some, flattening her ears. "W-why are you asking ME?"

"You're the one who heard the kits crying in the cave! You must have some idea of what's going on! Why is Angel saying that a dead kit is telling her Fari is her mother!?"

"I-I don't know!" Rain looked at Angel uncertainly for a moment before stepping forward, nudging the kit gently. "A-Angel...Angel, can I ask you a few things?"

The tortoiseshell pulled back from Fari and looked up at Rain, smiling sweetly.

"Angel...who is Stone?" Rain tried.

"Stone lived here!" Angel mewled, looking over her shoulder. "He'n his brother and sister! This was their home! THey come back sometimes to see momma and daddy!"

"And their momma and daddy are...?"

She smiled and looked at Fari and Flick.

"I-I see...where are they the rest of the time?"

"A scary black place...they don't like it, but they don't wanna leave yet," she shrugged her tiny shoulders, looking back up at Fari and Flick. "They don't wanna leave while momma and daddy are still so sad! So-so I told Stone I'd let them be my momma and daddy and make 'em happy again!"

The shock that filled the room at her statements made the whole house feel like it was filled with electricity. Rain felt the fur on the back of her neck stand up, yet another cold chill shooting through her. Fari and Flick looked like they could hardly believe what was happening...and Rain didn't blame them. Their dead son had supposedly told Angel that she needed to stay and be their daughter in order to make them happy again...it sounded like something out of a fairy tale.

"...S-so...now what?" Blu finally broke the silence, looking at Rain with wide, frightened eyes.

"I...I'm not sure..."

"I'm staying here!" Angel told her, "For my new momma and daddy!" She looked back at Fari and Flick, grinning. "This my home now!"

Rain's eyes widened slightly and, while all of the others looked even more shocked, understanding slowly sunk into her. Her eyes softened and she let out a small breath, nodding at Angel. "I understand...listen," she caught everyone's attention, "...We may not understand what's going on. It may seem like something that could never happen...but Angel feels this is her home now. She's found somewhere where she feels safe, somewhere where she wants to stay and grow...we don't have a right to argue with that."

"W-wait, so we're just going to leave her here?" Zero looked at Rain in shock, "But she's not their-"

"I'm staying!" Angel persisted. She turned her eyes to Fari and Flick, "Right momma, daddy?"

"...There's no way I could refuse," Fari breathed, leaning down and nuzzling the kit gently.

"This is insane...but..." Flick didn't finish his statement, just shaking his head as he knelt down and nuzzled her as well.

Rain watched them, a small smile taking over her lips. It wasn't like she wanted to leave Angel here...but she set out with the kit on a quest to find a safe home. And there was never any guarantee that Angel's safe place would be the same as hers. This was Angel's home now. It was where she belonged. Rain wasn't going to take her away from that, just like she hoped no one would try to take her away from her home...when she finally found it.

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Mom, I'm fine, I swear," Breeze huffed, stumbling away from Marcy, who was nosing her slowly healing wounds gently. The group had been staying at Flick and Fari's home for about half a moon now. Breeze's injuries were finally scarring over and she finally seemed to have the energy to travel again. Over that period of time, everyone had gotten more adjusted to Angel's decision to stay with Fari and Flick, as well. The couple had already lovingly accepted in Angel as their new daughter and, although Marcy, Zero and Ami weren't happy to loose her company, they WERE happy that she had found somewhere she was loved.

"Well...since Breeze is all better, we should get back on the road," Zero said to Rain.

"Yeah...we've overstayed our welcome, anyway." She stood, going to Fari and Flick, who were lying in a next together with Angel snuggled up between them. "...We'll be leaving now, then," she told them quietly. "Breeze is better and we need to get back to trying to find OUR home."

Fari stood, approaching her and touching her nose to her shoulder. "Good luck, Rain...I hope you find what you're looking for. All of you."

"Thank you. And thank you so much for helping Breeze...and for..." she turned her eyes to Angel, who was sitting up now and staring at her.

The kit gave a small smile and ran up to her, gently butting her head against Rain's forearm. "Bye-bye, Rain...thanks for taking care of me! Won't forget you..."

Rain smiled softly and licked the top of her head. "I won't forget you either, Angel...stay safe and be happy."

"I will!"

Rain stepped back and watched as Angel said her goodbyes to everyone else. "I'll be waiting outside," she told Zero before turning and leaving the old building, stepping out into the grass. The sun was just beginning to set, casting the beginning shadows of night over the forest. Rain took in a deep breath as she sat down, looking around. She froze when she spotted three small figures sitting together not too far away. They were the size of kits and, when she met their eyes, all three smiled.

"Thank you..." they breathed in one voice before vanishing.

Rain stare at the spot where they had been for a long time before smiling and tilting her head back, looking at the sky. "Now you all can be home, too..." she breathed softly, closing her eyes. "...Don't worry, my kits...soon enough, we'll be home as well."

* * *

**Blaaaaargh...not too happy with this chapter. I had a hard time working out a good way for Angel to leave the group/take up some time and space in the story. Sorry this is a bit of a lower quality one...boo writers block! But we're getting closer and closer to the better parts of the story! So please be patient! 3**


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